The Mausoleum of Hadrian, also known as Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering rotunda in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The popes later used the building as a fortress and castle, and it is now a museum. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.
Castel Sant'Angelo
Castel Sant'Angelo from the bridge. The top statue is of Michael the Archangel, the angel from whom the building derives its name.
Ponte Sant'Angelos Angel figures
View from the top of the Castel Sant'Angelo towards the ancient city core of Rome
A rotunda is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building. The Pantheon in Rome is perhaps the most famous, and is the most influential rotunda. A band rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome.
The Rotunda at the University of Virginia, designed by US President Thomas Jefferson, one of many based on the Pantheon, Rome
Temple of Hercules Victor, in the Forum Boarium in Rome
Remains of the circular temple at Bairat. A stupa was located in the center, with a colonnade and a circular wall around. 3rd century BCE.
Ashoka's circular Mahabodhi Temple, Bharhut
