Castel Sant'Angelo Guided Tour: Discover Renaissance Art & History

Uncover the hidden treasures of Castel Sant’Angelo on a guided tour. Explore Renaissance art and history as you discover the fascinating stories behind the frescoes, paintings, and decorations that adorn this magical monument.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Castel Sant’Angelo - Castel Sant’Angelo was originally built as a monumental tomb for the Emperor Hadrian. Already during the Late Roman Empire it became a stronghold for its size and strategic location to the north of the city, where most of the invasions came from.

It was then turned into an impregnable papal fortress during the middle ages and improved all throughout the renaissance times, featuring a large garrison, prisons and papal apartments.

This castle is directly connected to the Vatican by the means of a covered passageway called “Passetto di Borgo”. The pope would use this gateway to take refuge in the Castle. The papal apartments were specifically designed to make the pope comfortable during his potential stay in the fortress.

The variety of purposes and its continuity of use throughout the centuries makes Castle Sant’Angelo one of the most charming and iconic monuments of the Eternal City.

By visiting this place, you can basically enjoy the whole history of Rome, all in one go.

What's Included
  • Expert Tour Guide in English, Italian or French
  • Admission Tickets & Booking Fees
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Castel Sant’Angelo stands out as a distinct monument in its entirety. However, to truly comprehend the uniqueness of the site, an expert, English-speaking guide is necessary.

The Castle holds within its complex structure, a multi-layered history, and is ornamented with Renaissance-era frescoes, paintings, and decorations – a time when the revival of classical philosophy, literature, and art took place.

The ideas and values from Classical times are viewed through a fresh Christian perspective: the elements of paganism are no longer conflicting with Christian ideals, but instead, they’re celebrated, uplifted, and integrated into this new interweaving where the old and present, pagan and Christian, and the sacred and secular cohabitate.

Castel Sant’Angelo is an enchanting place, abundant with Renaissance art pieces, rich symbolism, and intriguing stories from the past, all glorifying the Pope, the Papacy, and Christian culture.

Seize the chance to truly appreciate the unparalleled charm of Castel Sant’Angelo.

Location
Lungotevere Castello, 50
Lungotevere Castello
The meeting point is in front of the entrance of the Castle: the guide will be waiting for you holding a Citywalkers sign
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(25 Ratings)
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Jeanne_k
May 24, 2024
Castel Sant’Angelo Tour - Oleg was wonderful! He had a wealth of knowledge and could answer all my many questions. Definitely a 5 star tour. Thank you so much Jeanne and Chor
Review provided by Viator
Lisa_c
May 12, 2024
Great tour. Not to be missed - Sylvia walked us though this amazing site. Her knowledge and presentation of the history was remarkable. The views over Rome on the top were breathtaking
Review provided by Viator
Terryh_w
May 5, 2024
A great tour! - The historical information the guide shred was tremendous; she deserves a huge commendation!. The castle and the uses were very interesting to me; I loved learning bout the references to the popes and the prisoners and the weaponry. I definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Angelof1480
Apr 2, 2024
Beautiful experience - We want to thank our guide Alessandra for accompanying us with her professionalism and kindness to discover Castel Sant'Angelo: a wonderful experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debra_h
Mar 28, 2024
Fantastic Tour of Castel Sant'Angelo - This was a fantastic tour! We loved the enthusiasm and knowledge of our guide! We highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Teresa_j
Mar 3, 2024
A Wonderful Tour of Castel Sant’Angelo - My husband and I had a wonderful tour with Alec. He was so informative and we learned so much more than if we had toured the castle by ourselves. Highly Recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Kim_o
Nov 11, 2023
Rome From The Castel - Alec was a very informative and knowledgeable tour guide. We took this tour on our last day in Rome and it really helped our understanding of the history of Rome from the beginning to the fall to the start of Christianity. This is a must for all traveling to Rome
Review provided by Viator
Kristina_f
Nov 8, 2023
A wonderfully paced exploration of Castel Sant’Angelo, thanks to Silvia! - We are so very fortunate and thankful to have Silvia as our tour guide! First, I thought I had booked a small group tour, so it was a very pleasant surprise when we arrived at the entrance of Castel Sant’Angelo and saw her holding up a paper with my name on it. We were 10 mins early, so I thought we were going to wait for the other participants. Then Silvia told us we could already start if we want, as it was a private tour! A very fortunate turn of event for me and my mother. We loved how Silvia shared with us the immensely interesting history of the Hadrian, the castle and how it eventually changed from a tomb to a fortress to the pope’s residence — Silvia’s story narration feels so organic, as if we are listening to a family or a relative who is welcoming us to Rome and who would love for us to learn more about it and fall in love with the city she grew up in. The entire tour felt heartwarming as it was also educational; and, it was also very comfortably paced. There was enough time to take photos, separately listen to Silvia’s stories and to absorb and marvel at the things we were seeing inside the Castel. When she would point interesting features to us, she would remind us of details in case they are related to something we have previously seen (both inside the castle and in our other tours of Rome like The Vatican). So it never feels like an overload of information, because Silvia helps us piece together all our experiences and the various things we have seen in the castle plus other parts of Rome. The view at the top of Castel Sant’Angelo was the best, especially as evening set in and Rome was adorned with enchanting lights. We truly enjoyed our time walking around Castel Sant’Angelo with Silvia. Best of all, her knowledge of the city really feels like it comes from her personal experience of living in it, that she could also help me with my questions about points of interests other than Castel Sant’Angelo itself. Silvia is such a magnificent company that will make anyone appreciate Rome even more! I would be very happy (and lucky) should I have her as our tour guide again in our next visit! Thank you so very much Silvia, for the wonderful tour and more so, for making us feel very much at home and well taken care of by you! We hope to see you again soon and also try your delicious pasta dishes! :)
Review provided by Viator
X3532zmgiuseppeb
Sep 24, 2023
Sunday 17 September 2023 in Castel Sant'Angelo. - Very interesting and pleasant visit. A special thank you to our guide Mrs. Antonella Fusco, a very professional and prepared person. Thanks to his vocation for transmitting his knowledge, he was able to attract the interest of three friends who, at times, were not particularly dedicated to the necessary concentration. Thank you!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luca_fugo
Nov 3, 2022
Castel Sant’Angelo - This was such an amazing and well guided tour. There is no possible way that you would be able to go into depth and the historical significants behind the castle without a tour guide, and it surprised us how overlooked and peaceful this castle was in Rome. Our tour guide (Lorenzo) was fabulous, fluent with English, and so cheerful. Our family was so happy to have him and because of him we all left smarter and more knowledgeable than before. Overall we highly recommend this tour because of the memories that you will make, the sights to see, and the views the castle has to offer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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