THE POPE’S FORTRESS

The first thing pilgrims see from the NAC tower, after St. Peter's Basilica, is without fail, the round, castle-like structure topped with a giant statue of St. Michael the Archangel. I had known this building, Castel Sant'Angelo, as the Pope's fortress—the place where he would take refuge if Rome were ever invaded. Indeed, in 1527 when Rome was sacked, Pope Clement VII, protected by the Swiss Guards, fled to Castel Sant'Angelo for refuge. Yet, even before the Popes took hold of this site, the original structure was Emperor Hadrian's tomb. In the year 139, Hadrian's ashes were laid here in a massive burial monument. Today's structure is the fruit of centuries of renovations.

One addition is the St. Michael statue. In the late 6th century, Rome was devasted by a plague. St. Gregory the Great, leading a procession, saw the Archangel on top of the monument, sheathing his sword, which indicated the end of the plague. As I concluded my visit to the Castel, I was blown away by the view from atop the "Angel's Terrace." This view rivals that of the NAC tower, but in its history, Castel Sant'Angelo is matchless.