Castel Sant'Angelo tickets (includes e-book guide)

Built by the emperor Hadrian in 138 AD as a family mausoleum or tomb, the Castel Sant'Angelo later became a fortress, a Papal stronghold and later a prison, before being converted to a museum in the early 20th century.

Legend has it that the Archangel Michael appeared on the top of the building to signal the end of the plague in 590 AD - hence Castel Sant'Angelo (or the Castle of the Holy Angel). The castle is topped with von Verschaffelt's bronze statue of the warrior saint, and the original, a marble statue by Raffaello da Montelupo, is still to be seen inside the castle.

With a complex network of rooms, galleries and corridors to explore on every floor, the castle also offers breathtaking views over Rome.

Included with your tickets is an e-book guide to the Castel Sant'Angelo, written by two prominent Italian Art Historians and available to download as epub (for iPad and iPhone, Android, and many ebook readers), mobi (for Kindle) and PDF for pretty much everything else.

Please note that, if you have young children with you, certain areas cannot be visited with a pushcair/buggy - these need to be left in the baggage room.

Should there be a special exhibition running then the price may change to reflect this.

Please note that your ticket allows you a maximum of 90 minutes inside the museum.