Hadrian built the mausoleum as a tomb for himself and his family, between 123 and 139 AD according to the infobox. It is a rotunda on the right bank of the Tiber, originally topped with a garden and a golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed there in 138, and the last recorded burial was Caracalla's in 217. It was once the tallest building in Rome.
It became a military fortress in 401 and was included in the Aurelian Walls. Legend says the Archangel Michael appeared on top, sheathing his sword, to mark the end of the plague of 590, which gave the castle its name.
The popes made it a castle from the 14th century. Nicholas III linked it to St. Peter's by the covered Passetto di Borgo, and Clement VII took refuge there during the Sack of Rome in 1527. It became a museum after 1901 and had 1,234,443 visitors in 2016.
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