Angels and Demons and Croissants

Fun Fact of the day: If you ask for a chocolate croissant, even if there are none left, they will make you one within a minute! They literally just fill a plain croissant with nutella in seconds. You do not have to change your order or suffer through a morning without chocolate – you’re welcome. This discovery is how Mary and I began our free day in Rome. We decided to spend our day going to a few major sites from the movie Angels and Demons, which while historically and religiously inaccurate is an incredibly fun movie to watch (sorry Professor Spinner). As a result we spent our morning at the Castel Sant’Angelo. While we would have visited this site regardless of the movie, having the film in mind gave Mary the hope that we would discover an ancient passageway, preferably one that would lead us to the Pope.

            We arrived early in the morning so the line was short and the space was incredibly empty. As a result we had an air of leisure during our time at the Castel. We were so relaxed in fact that we spent nearly a half hour leaning against a wall just talking and watching people play with their dogs, a phenomenon for me. This ancient monumental site was essentially a dog park for them. The ruins of this city are so ingrained in their personal lives! Since we spent so much time observing the dogs some of our friends, who had left for the Castel a little later than us, caught up! Our group of two had become one of five, and we continued on to the next level.

            During our morning at the Castel we witnessed various eras of time, all of which left their mark on this single monument. First we observed the prison cells that were used during the medieval period. While the whole site exuded beauty and intrigue, these spaces left a great deal to be desired. The area was one of depression, and we did not linger long. We then went through an older passageway that led to what would have been the main entrance to the mausoleum in antiquity (for those of you who do not know the Castel Sant’Angelo was originally Emperor Hadrian’s mausoleum). The size of the apse and length of the corridor to the entrance was colossal and gave off a sense of grandeur that only an Emperor could have. On the upper levels we reached the Papal apartments, which illustrated a diffusion between Catholicism and pagan tales. Although these rooms are meant to house the Pope, the decorations incorporated a lot of mythic elements. There were even depictions of Eros and Psyche in the bedroom! I was a bit confused by these adornments but the artistic appeal was clear.

            Next we ascended an extremely tight and narrow stone staircase from the Papal apartment, unsure of exactly where it would go. The entire Castel in fact was a bit difficult to navigate because of all the stairs and the roundness of the structure: we were literally going in circles. At the end of the stairs we arrived at the top of the fortress. While I had expected to see the famous statue of the archangel Michael his presence actually surprised me. As soon as I turned around he was right above me. His intimidation gaze pointed directly at the crowd. I was star struck by him to be honest. The view from the Castel Sant’Angelo was like my map come to life. Everything was animated to the extreme. It was also amazing see the spectrum of the city. To the right was St. Peter’s Basilica with people constantly moving, while to the left stood the outline of enormous mountains, which were secluded in serenity. To truly appreciate the view, and to conclude our time at the Castel Sant’Angelo, I quietly plugged my ear buds into my phone, handed one earpiece to Mary and played the composition 503 by Hans Zimmer. The piercing cry of the violin whispering into our ears completed the experience, as it expressed the mystery and beauty of Rome with its tortured melody.