Angels on Ponte Sant'Angelo

Ten angels lining Rome's most beautiful bridge, each carrying one of the Instruments of the Passion — the crown of thorns, the nails, the sponge of vinegar, the column, the sudarium. Bernini designed all ten and carved two himself (now inside Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, preserved as too precious for the weather). His outdoor gallery over the Tiber: the bridge becomes a processional stage leading from the city to the Castel Sant'Angelo. Best seen at dusk when the light falls across the Tiber.