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)], “Views of Rome,” c. 1754, Etching on laid paper, Sheet/Page 53.82 H x 75.88 W cm (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 his 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 the View of the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian piece, an etching from his Views of Rome series. This piece encapsulates how Piranesi advocated for architects and designers to draw inspiration from models of every time and place in the Eternal City.

Located on the banks of the Tiber River, Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome was originally built as Hadrian's Mausoleum, with its construction beginning in 135 and its later completion in 139 CE. The location of Hadrian's Mausoleum made it an ideal structure for a fortress. In 271 CE, Emperor Aurelian began to fortify the walls of the mausoleum to incorporate it into the city's defense system, and by the early fifth century under Emperor Honorius' rule, the tomb was converted into a fortress. In 590, Pope Gregory the Great had a vision of Archangel Michael sheathing his sword over the castle, signifying the end of a plague; this supernatural occurrence inspired the structure’s modern name, Castel Sant'Angelo. In the sixteenth century, Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to Saint Peter's Basilica via a fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo, constructed to connect the Castel Sant'Angelo to the Vatican. During the Middle Ages, this corridor served as a refuge for the popes, and Clement VII famously used the Passetto di Borgo to take shelter from the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V during the Sack of Rome in 1527. The castle was later used as a prison and military barracks.

In Piranesi’s View of the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian, the artist places letters in various areas of the etching to indicate the structural areas with evolved purposes and significances as they relate to Rome’s history – including Rome’s struggles with war and epidemics. Located at the top of the structure (H), Piranesi etches a statue of 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 plague. The inscription embedded at the bottom of the artwork refers to the statue as an "Angel made of metal," indicating that it is made of bronze, a later replacement for earlier marble versions of the Archangel that were destroyed over time. Piranesi also illustrates the structure's layout by indicating the prison cells used to detain high-profile prisoners (E). These cells boast heavy doors and small windows and remind us of the structure's historic role as a place of confinement. The etching further showcases Piranesi's attempt at portraying the structure's varying purposes over time by including the Passetto di Borgo, the fortified corridor built on the order of Pope Nicholas III. This passageway is depicted with a drawbridge (L) that connects Castel Sant'Angelo to the Vatican, allowing popes to seek refuge during times of danger. 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. 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. Thus, the etching indicates both the contemporary use of the ancient structure as well as its functions during the eighteenth century.

Unlike the state of deterioration that the Colosseum (cat. 11) devolved into, this monument was repurposed to fit the needs of Rome throughout the 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, adding a rather morbid element to the etching. The site had functioned as an execution ground for centuries and 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.

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. 

Arthur M. Hind (Author), Giovanni Battista Piranesi: A Critical Study, with a List of His Published Works and Detailed Catalogues of the Prisons and the Views of Rome, Da Capo Press, New York, 1967, ©1922.

Lewis, Jacqueline. "12 Facts about Giovanni Battista Piranesi" TheCollector.com, Jun 3, 2023, https://www.thecollector.com/giovanni-battista-piranesi/.

Penelope J.E. Davies, Death and the Emperors: Roman Imperial Funerary Monuments from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius (Cambridge University Press, 2000).

P. Pensabene and A. Ottati "Il cosidetto Mausoleo e l'ordine dorico a Villa Adriana". Una storia mai finita, Novita e prospettive della ricerca, Ministero per i 46 Beni e le Attivita Culturali Sopridentenza per i Beni Archaeologici del Lazio, Milano 2010, 120-24

Rebecchini, Guido. “Rituals of Justice and the Construction of Space in Sixteenth-Century Rome.” I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance 16, no. 1/2 (September 2013): 153–79. https://doi.org/10.1086/673419.

Thompson, Wendy. "Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pira/hd_pira.htm (October 2003)

Wilton-Ely, John. "Piranesi, Giovanni Battista." Grove Art Online. 2003. https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054…;