Castel Sant'Angelo (Sant Angelo Castle): Night of Dancing on the River, Rome

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, also known as Sant Angelo Castle, is a cylindrical tower in Rome’s Adriano Park. Built by Emperor Hadrian between 134 and 139 AD as a family mausoleum, it later housed the remains of several emperors.

In 401, the structure was repurposed into a fortress, incorporated into the Aurelian Walls, and used for defense. Legend claims that Archangel Michael appeared over it in 590, ending a plague and inspiring its current name. Over time, popes transformed the castle into a papal residence, prison, and execution site. Now a museum, it features historical exhibits, secret passages, and a rooftop terrace offering stunning views of Rome and Vatican City.

In the 20th century, the castle provided a setting for one of the scenes in the famous 1953 Hollywood blockbuster “Roman Holiday.” Anyone who saw it can surely recall the memorable moment when Princess Ann received an invitation from Mario Delani, the barber responsible for her stunning new haircut, to join him for a night of dancing aboard a barge on the Tiber River. The scene brims with excitement, particularly as secret agents pursue the Princess, resulting in a delightful commotion. And who could forget her ingenious move of playfully striking one of the agents with a guitar, thereby making him the "crowned head" of the night's festivities? The night of dancing concludes with a thrilling leap into the river.

Decades on, the Tiber has gone low, and the barge – once moored between the Vittorio Emanuele II Bridge and Sant Angelo Bridge – is not there anymore, not to mention discotheques and Gregory Pecks. But they say, back in the day, people did party hard here. With the right amount of imagination, you can still visualize anything you want. At least the bridge where it all happened and the Sant Angelo Castle are still there.