The first stone was laid in 123 AD and the first version of the structure was finished in 139. Back then it had the function of Mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian and his family. Notice the uneven brickwork in the bottom picture - that's the oldest part of the fort.
In the 14th century the popes started converting the place to a castle and that was also when the hidden passageway to the Vatican that I mentioned earlier was constructed. The well ordered brickwork is from this era.The 16th century brought additions in the form of a chapel and a rich apartment for the pope to stay in if there was a siege - that's the pinkish section to the right in the top picture.
In the year of 1901 the castle/fortress was decommissioned and converted into the museum that it is today. But in the ways of construction the only trace you can find from the modern era in these pictures is the antenna on the roof in the top picture.
/MrsHjort
Those bricks from 139AD may be ugly, but must really be sturdy. Nice shot with history. As for that antenna, the pope likes soap operas (or so I've heard - ha). ;-)
ReplyDeleteHaha! And now I cant help but envision him in a sofa with the hat on eating popcorn watching Paradise Hotel XD.
DeleteGlad you like it, thank you!