Ponte Sant'Angelo

Ponte Sant’Angelo is a historic stone bridge in Rome that spans the Tiber and provides a direct route to the fortress known as Castel Sant’Angelo. It was originally built to link the city with the emperor’s mausoleum across the river.

The bridge is noted for its Baroque angel statues mounted along the parapets, a set conceived in the 17th century and widely associated with Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Today the bridge functions primarily for pedestrians and is a popular crossing for people visiting the Vatican area.

Built in ancient Roman times to connect the city with the mausoleum that later became Castel Sant’Angelo, the bridge has been repaired and embellished across the centuries and acquired its Baroque statuary in the 1600s. It has long served both ceremonial and practical purposes as a river crossing.

The bridge sits immediately east of the Vatican and links the historic centre near Piazza Navona with the fortress on the river’s right bank, within easy walking distance of St. Peter’s Basilica.

• Pedestrian access: The bridge is now restricted to pedestrians, offering direct access between the historic centre and the riverfront fortress.

What to See #

• Bernini's angels: A series of ten Baroque angel sculptures placed along the bridge parapets, designed in the 17th century by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and largely executed by his pupils.