Ponte Sant'Angelo

Built by Emperor Hadrian in 134 AD as the ceremonial approach to his own mausoleum (now Castel Sant'Angelo), connecting the Campus Martius across the Tiber. In medieval and Jubilee years, this was the main route for pilgrims heading to St. Peter's; in 1450, the parapet collapsed under the weight of the crowd and many drowned. The bridge is now lined with ten marble angels — each holding an instrument of the Passion of Christ — designed by Bernini and his pupils in the 1660s. Pedestrian-only since 1965, and especially atmospheric at night.