Steve's Genealogy Blog

As the Tiber River winds through Rome, Italy, pedestrians can stroll along at the level of the river itself or on the streets above the walls that protect Rome from flooding. From the north, one passes a number of bridges including the Umberto I Bridge (Ponte Umberto I)that leads to the Palace of Justice, the Sant’Angelo Bridge (ponte Sant’Angelo) leading to Castel Sant’Angelo, the Victor Emmanuel II Bridge (Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II)Â and the Prince Amedeo Bridge (Ponte Principe Amedeo) just below Castel Sant’Angelo, the Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge (Ponte Mazzini) with its fascinating lamps, and the Palatino Bridge (Ponto Palatino) and the ruins of the Rotto Bridge (Ponte Rotto), just below the rapids.

Victor Emmanuel II Bridge and Prince Amedeo Bridge

SOURCE:  Victor Emmanuel II Bridge and Prince Amedeo Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Giuseppe Mazzi Bridge

SOURCE:  Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Base of Lamp on the Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge

SOURCE:  Base of Lamp on the Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Palatino Bridge and Ruins of the Rotto Bridge

SOURCE:  Palatino Bridge and Ruins of the Rotto Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Palace of Justice is located along the right bank of the Tiber River in Rome. Over the front door is a sculpture of Justice flanked by Law and Strength. In front of the building are statues of Cicero, Papiniano, De Luca, and Vito. Atop the structure is a sculpture of Winged Victory.

The Palace of Justice is approached by the Ponte Umberto I, a bridge honoring the second king of a unified Italy.

The Palace of Justice

SOURCE:  The Palace of Justice (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Winged Victory

SOURCE:  Winged Victory (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Ponte Umberto I

SOURCE:  Ponte Umberto I (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, Italy is in remarkably good repair considering that it is over 1800 years old .  The fact that the structure has been in nearly constant use since it was built undoubtedly has contributed to its preservation.

From the upper battlements, visitors to Castel Sant’Angelo enjoy a panoramic view of the Eternal City. Looking southeast, one can see the broad dome of the Pantheon, the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, and the domes of several Roman churches. Among those domes is the somewhat octagonal dome of Chiesa del Gesù, directly in front of the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Also seen are the domes of San Salvatore in Lauro just to the left of the dome of Sant’Agnese in Agone in the Piazza Navona. Further to the right are the domes of Santa’Andrea della Valle and San Carlo ai Catinari.

Directly west of Castel Sant’Angelo stands Saint Peter’s Basilica in the State of the Vatican City.

Tower of Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Tower of Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Atop Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Atop Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

View to the Southeast of Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  View to the Southeast of Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

View of Saint Peter’s Basilica

SOURCE:  View of Saint Peter’s Basilica (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

A tour inside Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, Italy gives visitors the clear understanding that this structure was used as a fortress, a residence, and as a prison. A passageway tall and wide enough to accommodate a horse-drawn wagon spirals from ground level to the top of Castel Sant’Angelo, allowing munitions and supplies to be brought to the upper levels. Some individual cells in the structure lent themselves to defense of Castel Sant’Angelo while other cells were more suited to penal purposes.

Spiral Passageway in Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Spiral Passageway in Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Courtyard in Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Courtyard in Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Munitions and Tools in Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Munitions and Tools in Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Guardhouse in Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Guardhouse in Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Castel Sant’Angelo began its existence as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian and his family. By the 14th century, Castel Sant’Angelo was conscripted by the popes for use as a fortress and a prison. Today, the structure is used as a museum.

Castel Sant’Angelo can be seen from a distance while walking along the banks of the Tiber. The Ponte Sant’Angelo leads from the left bank of the Tiber to the castle itself. The bridge is adorned with statues of St. Peter, St. Paul, and ten angels each holding one of the instruments of Christ’s passion and death.

According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared with a sword on top of the mausoleum, signaling the end of the plague of 590 AD. Since that time, the mausoleum has been known as Castel Sant’Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel). The statue of the Archangel Michael atop Castel Sant’Angelo has gone through six incarnations. The fifth version, by Italian sculptor Raffaello da Montelupo, is still on display inside the castle. The sixth statue, the one currently atop Castel Sant’Angelo, was created by Flemish sculptor Pieter Van Verschaffelt.

Castel Sant’Angelo from the Left Bank of the Tiber

SOURCE:  Castel Sant’Angelo from the Left Bank of the Tiber (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Castel Sant’Angelo from the Ponte Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Castel Sant’Angelo from the Ponte Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Ponte Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Ponte Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Archangel Michael by Raffaello da Montelupo

SOURCE:  The Archangel Michael by Raffaello da Montelupo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Archangel Michael by Pieter Van Verschaffelt

SOURCE:  The Archangel Michael by Pieter Van Verschaffelt (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Pantheon, like other Catholic Churches in Rome, Italy, is home to an impressive collection of art. Close to the entrance of the Pantheon, on the right as one enters, is a 1686 painting of The Madonna of the Girdle and St. Nicholas of Bari by an unknown artist. To the left as one enters the Pantheon is a 1638 painting of The Assumption by Andrea Camasse. In niches in the interior are sculptures of St. Anne and the Blessed Virgin by Il Lorenzone and St. Anastasio by Bernardino Cametti.

The Madonna of the Girdle and St. Nicholas of Bari

SOURCE:  The Madonna of the Girdle and St. Nicholas of Bari (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Assumption

SOURCE:  The Assumption (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

St. Anne and the Blessed Virgin

SOURCE:  St. Anne and the Blessed Virgin (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

St. Anastasio

SOURCE:  St. Anastasio (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy houses several altars and a number of paintings. Behind the high altar there is a copy of a 13th century icon of the Madonna. The altarpiece in the Chapel of the Madonna of Mercy is a 15th century painting of The Madonna of Mercy between St. Francis and St. John the Baptist. Still another chapel holds a sculpture of St. Joseph and the Holy Child by Vincenzo de Rossi. In one of the niches between the chapels, is a crumbling 15th century fresco of the Coronation of the Virgin.

The High Altar in the Pantheon

SOURCE:  The High Altar in the Pantheon (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Chapel of the Madonna of Mercy

SOURCE:  The Chapel of the Madonna of Mercy (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

St. Joseph and the Holy Child

SOURCE:  St. Joseph and the Holy Child (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Coronation of the Virgin

SOURCE:  Coronation of the Virgin (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy has the distinction of holding three important tombs. The first is that of the Italian painter and architect Raphael. Despite what Dan Brown wrote in his book Angels and Demons, Raphael’s tomb has always been located in the Pantheon. Above Raphael’s tomb is a sculpture of the Madonna del Sasso created by Raphael’s student Lorenzetto. The other important tombs are those of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy, and Umberto I, Victor Emmanuel’s successor.

Madonna del Sasso

SOURCE:  Madonna del Sasso (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Raphael’s Tomb

SOURCE:  Raphael’s Tomb (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Tomb of Victor Emmanuel II

SOURCE:  Tomb of Victor Emmanuel II (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Tomb of Umberto I

SOURCE:  Tomb of Umberto I (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy was originally built by Agrippa and rebuilt by Hadrian in 126 AD. Its name derives from the idea that it was a temple to all the gods, but that conclusion is not certain. It was converted to a Christian church by Pope Boniface IV who dedicated it to St. Mary and the Martyrs. The Pantheon is still used as a Catholic church today.

The Pantheon boasts the largest unreinforced concrete dome. A single opening in the center of the dome, the oculus, is the only opening for natural light in the structure. As the sun moves across the sky above the Pantheon, the light shining through the oculus travels like the beam of a powerful searchlight around the interior of the Pantheon.

Outside the Pantheon, in Piazza della Rotonda, stands an obelisk that was originally constructed by Ramses II in Heliopolis. It is now crowned with a cross as well as the mountains and star of Pope Clement XI.

The Pantheon

SOURCE:  The Pantheon (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Oculus of the Pantheon

SOURCE:  The Oculus of the Pantheon (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Light from the Oculus

SOURCE:  The Light from the Oculus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Obelisk in the Piazza della Rotonda

SOURCE:  The Obelisk in the Piazza della Rotonda (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko