Castel Sant'Angelo

2012-01-31T17:58:16Z

63.170.112.124:

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|bbook|Ascendance}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{WPlocations}}
{{Landmarks Infobox
|image = Castel_Sant_Angelo..jpg
|description = [[Rome]]'s most important fortress.
|location = [[Vaticano District]], [[Rome]], [[Italy]]
|dateconstructed = Between 135 and 139 A.D.
|functions = Castle
|features =
|appearance = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''
|events =
|commissioner = Emperor Hadrian}}
The '''Castel Sant'Angelo''', initially known as the '''Mausoleum of Hadrian''', was a significant, cylindrical fortress located in [[Vaticano District|the Vatican]], reachable via the [[Ponte Sant'Angelo]]. It was an end point to the [[Passetto di Borgo]], and could be found on the banks of the [[Tiber river]].

The Castel was commissioned by the [[Roman Empire|Roman Emperor]] Hadrian as a tomb for himself and his family. Later, during the [[Renaissance]], the building was used by the [[Papacy]] as a fortress and castle.

==History==
===The Roman Era===
The tomb of Hadrian, also called Hadrian's mole, was constructed between 135 and 139 AD. It was originally a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga.<ref name="Wikipedia">[[wikipedia:Castel Sant'Angelo|Castel Sant'Angelo]] in Wikipedia</ref>

Hadrian's ashes were placed here a year after his death in 138 AD, together with those of his wife, and his first adopted son, who died in the same year. Furthermore, remains of succeeding emperors were placed here as well. Hadrian also built the Ponte Sant'Angelo, formerly known as Pons Aelius.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

===Destruction===
Much of the tomb contents and decoration had been destroyed since the building was changed into a military fortress in 401. The urns and ashes were scattered by looters in Alaric's [[wikipedia:Sack of Rome (410)|sacking of Rome]] in 410, and the original decorations were thrown down upon the attacking [[wikipedia:Goths|Goths]] when they besieged Rome in 537.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

===Liberation of Rome===
[[File:Assassins-creed-brotherhood 1276846795.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Ezio before the Castel.]]
In 1499, the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] scaled the Castel during his infiltration of the [[Cappella Sistina]], in order to assassinate [[Rodrigo Borgia|Pope Alexander VI]].<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

In 1501, upon Ezio's return to Rome, he [[Infiltration of the Castel Sant'Angelo|infiltrated the Castel]] to rescue [[Caterina Sforza]], and to assassinate [[Cesare Borgia|Cesare]] and Rodrigo Borgia. However, though he successfully rescued Caterina, he was unable to kill either [[Templars|Templar]] leader, after he discovered that Rodrigo was away from the Castel, and that Cesare had left for Urbino moments after Ezio had arrived.<ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

Soon after this assault, the Castel was guarded by several [[Papal Guard]]s and [[France|French]] soldiers, courtesy of Cesare's alliance with the French General [[Octavian de Valois]].<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

In August 1503, Ezio once again infiltrated the Castel through a side gate, with a key he had obtained from [[Lucrezia Borgia]]'s lover, [[Pietro Rossi|Pietro]]. At a window looking into the Castel's Papal apartments, he witnessed the murder of Rodrigo at the hands of Cesare.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

At this time, Ezio also found out the location of the [[Ezio's Apple|Apple of Eden]], thanks to Lucrezia.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

==Trivia==
[[File:SantAngelo2.png|thumb|250px|right|An overview of the Castel.]]
*Despite being the highest reachable point of any ''Assassin's Creed'' game, the flagpole atop the Castel is not a [[View Points|view point]].
*After climbing the flagpole and looking out at the cityscape, clouds appear over the city.
*One of [[Subject 16]]'s [[Rifts]] is located on the Castel, on the main tower just across from the inner wall.
*The entire Castel is a restricted area throughout ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', except during certain memories, such as "[[The Ezio Auditore Affair]]."
*[[File:Flylike.png|right]]The [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood achievements|achievement]] "Fly Like An Eagle" can be earned when Ezio jumps off the pinnacle height of the Castel (the top of the flagpole) with a [[Parachutes|parachute]].
**Throughout Sequence 5, both entrances to the Castel (the large door near the four [[Papal guard]]s, and the fence accessing the lower courtyard) are closed, so completion of the "Fly Like An Eagle" achievement is not possible until further game progression.
**If you have unlocked the parachute, clinging onto the wall right next the the fenced courtyard, and jumping sideways with the parachute can fly you over the fence.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="left">
Castel SantAngelo1.jpg|A wireframe render of the Castel.
Zw-ACBH-DLC-7-2.jpg|The front of the Castel.
Nmit.jpg|Niccolò and Ezio, with the Castel in the background.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[de:Engelsburg]]
[[Category:Rome]]
[[Category:Landmarks]]
[[Category:Castles]]

Assassin's Creed Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Castel Sant'Angelo