Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome

Favorite thing: Originally built (AD 135-39) by Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his successors, it was later decorated and fortified as a place of refuge for the popes.
Although outside of the Vatican city itself it was connected to the Vatican by a secret passage for their escape route in times of danger. It was used as a fortress and prison until 1870 and is now a museum - the Museo Nazionale Militare and of Art.

Favorite thing: Castel Sant'Angelo was built by the Emperor Hadrian (117-138) as a Mausoleum.
It became a fortress with the Emperor Aurelian.
In 1277 the Pope Nicholas II connected the Castle to the Vatican through the famous corridor. So the Popes used it as a fortress and as a prison and a place for torture.

Favorite thing: To visit the Interior of Hadrians Mausoleum you first go down a slope to the lower levels and then gradually climb up the levels whilst circling around various courtyards. In the courtyards too there are some lovely features like this angel statue. There is also a restaurant up here and is a great place for a snack or drink.

Favorite thing: History oozes out of every pore of Rome. Absolutely glorious treasures at every turn of the corner. I keep wondering if Rome should have been my last destination in life or my first. I would either never leave or always return. I love this city!

Fondest memory: I have too many wonderful memories of Rome to list...I will say the suprises that wait for you down every street is probably the greatest treat anyone would ever want!

Favorite thing: Some of the best smaller decorations and ornaments are not necessarily fused onto hotel corners or beneath apartment windows. Much of Rome's neatest statuary stands in somewhat mutilated condition in the Forum. Others dot the landscape throughout the Villa Borghese, Rome's great park just outside the northern walls. Still others adorn the street, a square, or some other place. Freestanding, pensive, dramatic - you'll find them throughout the city.

Favorite thing: Since the Tiber is given to occasional flooding, the river embankments were put into place in the 1890s. Obviously when the water is high, there is no walking on the platforms, but when the water is low, you can walk nearly alongside the green Tiber. While the water itself hardly charms the eye in its polluted state, or would if it were clear be as romantic as the riverside walks in Paris, these embankments give you a different perspective of Rome.

Favorite thing: One thing is to visit the spots in Rome, another is to come up close with those spots; like going near to the monument of Emmanuel Vittorio or the tomb of the unknow soldier in Piazza Venezia, or going up to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica or come very close to the statue of St. Michael the Archangel at the top of Castel Santangelo, which I did to get a close peek of him.

Fondest memory: One thing that you should not miss doing is to be at least on the top of one of the important landmarks or monuments in Rome.

Favorite thing: The Castel S. Angelo was just about 5 blocks from our hotel. This is one of the older structures in Rome and used to be the home of a pope or two. A visit to the Castel is worth the price of admission. The exhibits are interesting, and the views of Rome are lovely. They even had a small instrumental ensemble performing on the terrace.

This was the only place we went to where they had one price for tourists, and a lower price for Romans. We failed miserably at our imitation of Roman locals, so we paid the higher price. It was still worth it.