Hadrian's Mausoleum

View of the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian (Now called Castel S. Angelo) [Veduta del Mausoleo d’Elio Adriano (ora chiamato Castello S. Angelo)], from the series “Views of Rome,” c. 1754, etching on laid paper, Sheet/Page 21 3/16 H x 29 7/8 W in. Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Bequest of Frank B. Bristow), GW Collection (CGA.68.26.834)

By Grace Suter with contributions by Ian Lacroix

Unlike the imaginary capriccios by Piranesi’s seventeenth-century predecessors, Claude Lorraine and Nicolas Poussin, Piranesi’s works embody a sense of simplicity, clarity, and order that goes beyond the romanticized ruins of Ancient Rome. This artistic approach is beautifully captured in View of the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian, an etching from his “Views of Rome” series. Piranesi does not simply aggrandize the Mausoleum of Hadrian but represents the timelessness of the mausoleum to contemporary Romans through his inscriptions explaining its evolving functions.

Located on the banks of the Tiber River, the Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, with its construction beginning in 135 CE and its completion in 139 CE. The central location of the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome made it an ideal structure for multiple uses. Romans throughout time likely realized this, as the structure has gone through various uses throughout the centuries. However, without knowing the history behind the various constructions, the viewer lacks a complete understanding of the mausoleum’s notability. Piranesi labeled various sections of the mausoleum with letters and described each piece with a short inscription at the bottom of the etching to indicate its purpose or simply highlight its existence. The letters indicate the structural areas with significant purposes as they relate to Rome’s past, helping viewers begin a journey to learn what function each section of the mausoleum served.

The ancient remnants of the monument are labeled by the letter “A,” with Piranesi establishing the legacy of Ancient Rome in the eighteenth-century version. After serving as a burial site for a couple hundred years, it was converted into a fortress in the fifth century under Emperor Honorius’ rule, making it part of the Aurelian Wall. Symbolized in Piranesi’s etching with the letter “C” labeling the remaining artillery along the upper part of the structure, presumably part of the defense the structure would have used.

Located at the top of the structure labeled with “H,” Piranesi etched a statue of the Archangel Michael. This statue symbolizes Pope Gregory the Great's vision of the Archangel sheathing his sword atop the castle, signifying the end of the devastating plague that hit Rome in the 590s. The inscription refers to the statue as an "Angel made of metal," indicating that it is made of bronze, a later replacement for an earlier marble version of the Archangel that was destroyed over time. This is when the mausoleum was renamed “Castel Sant’Angelo” and became a Christianized structure, rather than a dynastic burial ground.

Throughout the rest of the Middle Ages (476-1300) and the Renaissance period (1300-1600), the repurposing of the Castel Sant’Angelo continued. With “L,” the etching showcases the drawbridge that connects the Castel Sant’Angelo to the Vatican through the Passetto di Borgo, the fortified corridor built under the order of Pope Nicholas III in the thirteenth century allowing popes to escape and seek refuge during times of danger. In 1527 Clement VII famously used the Passetto di Borgo to take shelter from the mutinous troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V during the Sack of Rome. Piranesi's attention to the drawbridge mechanism and the corridor's fortified structure further emphasizes the Mausoleum of Hadrian’s importance as a strategic building for the city's defenses. Piranesi acknowledges letter “B” as a “modern brick cover” to the ancient mausoleum underneath it. This letter represents the ongoing effort put into preserving the ancient monument centuries later to keep it in use for contemporary Romans and how they adapted it to carry on Rome’s legacy but mold it to fit the current needs of the city.

Piranesi also illustrates the structure's layout by indicating the prison cells used to detain high-profile prisoners with the letter “E.” These cells boast heavy doors and small windows and signal the structure's historic role as a place of confinement in the eighteenth century. Residential quarters and barracks (“Q”), where officials and soldiers resided, are present within the castle. These areas are shown with architectural details that highlight their functional uses – such as fortified walls and communal living spaces that showcase the mausoleum’s dual function as a military stronghold and residence in the eighteenth century. Further evidence of Piranesi's indications to both the eighteenth-century uses of the monument and the purposes it served in previous centuries.

This etching, consistent with others in Piranesi's "Views of Rome” series, underscores themes of death and the remnants of the past. Throughout the etching, many figures appear to be engaged in violent acts, such as one soldier with a sword above his head who appears to be ready to decapitate a seated man. Another group of figures depicts one man aiming his gun from a tower above the drawbridge. The site functioned as an execution ground for centuries. That use continued to serve as such into the nineteenth century.

Piranesi produced this view while working on the Antichita Romane, his four-volume archaeological treatise. The dramatic view of Hadrian’s Mausoleum as it appeared in the eighteenth century aligns perfectly with the other vedute. When Piranesi sold these prints to tourists to make his living, he simultaneously projected how the legacy of the Roman Empire remained in eighteenth-century Rome, but also pointed out that to keep that legacy, people had to know what they were looking at. It is the responsibility of Rome to maintain and honor its history, which the mausoleum’s current function as a museum does.

Inscription in Italian

VEDUTA del Mausoleo d'Elio Adriano (ora chiamato Castello S. Angelo) nella parte opposta alla Facciata dentro al Castello. A. Avanzo del Masso antico. B. Copertura moderna a di di mattoni mattoni sopra l'antico Masso. C. Bocche di Artiglieria collocata, nel Corritojo, che gira all'intorno. D. Loggia diametrali. opposta alla Facciata del Mausoleo. E. Carceri per le persone riguardevoli. F. Archivio. G. Maschietto. H. Angelo di metallo. I. Baloardi fatti piantaré dal Pontefice Alesandro VI. K. Corritojo fabbricato parim per ordine dello stesso; e poscia fatto coprire da Urbano VIII. Questo Corritojo e ſoftenuto da gran numero d'Av- chi, e dal Palazzo Vaticano conduce sino dentro al Maschio. L. Ponte levatore del Corritojo. M. Polveriera. N. Cordonata, la quale porta fopra i Terrapieni, e sopra le Mura del principale Recinto del Castello. O. Recinto di Mura, e Baleardi, che circonda il Maschio. P. Armeria. Q. Abitazione per gli Ufiziali, e Soldati. R. Altra Polveriera. Presso l'Autore a Strada Felice vicino alla Trinità de’ monti. A paoli due e mezzo.

English Translation by Andrew Gibson:

Piranesi Archit dif et inc.

View of the Mausoleum of the emperor Hadrian, now called S. Angelo’s Castle, opposite to the facade inside the castle. A. Remnants of the ancient Mausoleum. B. Modern brick cover above ancient Mausoleum. C. Artillery battlements placed in the main corridor, going all around D. Loggia diametrically opposite the facade of the mausoleum. E. Prison cells for people of high regard. F. The Archive. G. Little keep (minor tower). H. Angel made of metal. I. bulwarks built by Pope Alexander. K. Corridor built by order of the same Pope (Alexander); later covered by Urban VIII. This corridor his held up by a large number of arches, and from the Vatican it leads all the way into the castle tower. L. Drawbridge of the corridor. M. Gunpowder storage. N. Ramp, which leads above the Ramparts, and above the Perimeter Walls of the Castle. O. Perimeter Walls and Bulwarks that surround the tower. P. Armory Q. Residence of the Officials, and Soldiers R. More gunpowder storage. From the author’s (home), at Strada Felice nel Palazzo Tornati near the Trinità dei Monti

Photos courtesy of Dr. Pollack. 

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