Angels and Demons , the film based on Dan Brown’s book, is set in Rome and the Vatican. Here are the best places you will see in the movie. You can visit these places yourself the next time you are in Rome.
St. Peter’s Square and Basilica
Vatican City is a small independent sovereign state and home to the Pope. St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the largest churches in the world, and the massive St. Peter’s Square dominate the Vatican and feature prominently in the film. Entry to St. Peter’s Basilica is free, but to visit the Vatican excavations, the necropolis below St. Peter’s Basilica, where part of the film takes place, you will have to book in advance for a guided tour.
Castel Sant ‘Angelo y Passetto
Castel Sant ‘Angelo, built as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century, was used as a fortress until it became a papal residence in the 14th century. A secret passageway, the Passetto, connects it to the Vatican. In the movie, this is an ancient Illuminati secret location used towards the end of the story. Today Castel Sant ‘Angelo hosts summer concerts. The Passetto, the prison and the private rooms of Clemente VII can also be visited.
Piazza Navona and the Fountain of the Four Rivers
Piazza Navona is a lively square surrounded by high-end cafes and Baroque palaces. The stars of the oval-shaped square are three splendid Baroque fountains. The central fountain, Fountain of the rivers or Fontana Dei Fiumi, represents water on the path of enlightenment in history. Created by Bernini in the 1650s, the fountain portrays four rivers: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile and the RÃo de la Plata.
Santa Maria del Popolo and Piazza del Popolo
Santa Maria del Popolo, in the Piazza del Popolo, was one of the first Renaissance churches in Rome. In the Chigi Chapel, created by Raphael, there are ceiling mosaics and pyramidal tombs, as well as statues by Bernini. The Chigi Chapel represents the Earth on the path of enlightenment in the movie and the book.
Santa Maria della Vittoria
Santa Maria della Vittoria is a Baroque church on Via XX Settembre. The church contains Bernini’s famous ecstasy of Saint Teresa representing Fire on the path of enlightenment.
The pantheon
The Pantheon in Rome, the ancient temple of all gods, was built between 118-125 AD by Emperor Hadrian. Its cupola was the largest cupola up to Brunelleschi’s cupola in Florence Cathedral, built in 1420-36. In the 7th century, the early Christians converted it into a church, but it is still the best-preserved building in ancient Rome. Today it is surrounded by a pleasant and lively square, a pleasant place to sit in the evening and enjoy a drink. Entrance to the Pantheon is free.
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel, built between 1473 and 1481, is the private chapel of the Pope and the place for the election of the new Pope by the cardinals. Michelangelo painted the famous ceiling frescoes, with the central scenes depicting the creation and history of Noah. He also decorated the altar wall with the Last Judgment and there are works by several other famous artists. The chapel is part of the Vatican Museums.
Make sure to buy tickets or book a tour in advance to avoid long lines. Select Italy, a US company, sells Vatican Museums tickets and small group (6 person) tours of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel online. To enjoy the Sistine Chapel without huge crowds, consider visiting the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums before or after hours.
Royal Palace of Caserta
Caserta Royal Palace was the setting for filming many of the Angels and Demons scenes that take place in Vatican City, as filming in Vatican City was prohibited. The Royal Palace of Caserta or Reggia di Caserta, northeast of Naples, is an extravagant 18th-century Bourbon palace that is often used as a movie set. You may recognize the palace from other movies, such as Star Wars Episode I and II and Mission Impossible III, where it replaced Vatican City.
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Featured Sites in Dan Brown’s Hell
Inferno , Dan Brown’s novel based on the Divine Comedy , takes place in the Italian cities of Florence and Venice, as well as Istanbul, Turkey. Find out about the monuments and sites that appear in the book for each of these cities.
