Engelenburcht te Rome met links een deel van de Engelenbrug, Italië 1852 - 1900

This photograph of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, with a section of the Ponte Sant'Angelo on the left, was captured by the Alinari brothers. The image offers a glimpse into the 19th-century fascination with Rome's layered history, and how it manifested in visual culture. The Castel Sant'Angelo, initially built as Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum, later transformed into a papal fortress, stands as a solid reminder of shifting power dynamics. Looking at this image, one might reflect on the way monuments embody and perpetuate dominant narratives, often obscuring other stories. As a funerary monument turned papal residence, this site invites us to consider how spaces are repurposed, and whose histories are prioritized. The Alinari brothers' photograph freezes a moment, beckoning reflection on our relationship with the past, and how we choose to remember.