Home
 This postcard from 1950 provides an interesting view of Vatican City from the banks of the Tiber River. The Ponte Sant'Angelo (Saint Angelo Bridge) is in the left-center of the photo, with the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the far background. To the right is the Castel Sant'Angelo (Saint Angelo Castle). The Ponte Sant'Angelo was depicted on a stamp issued by Vatican City in 2018 as part of a two-stamp set for the annual Europa issue featuring bridges:  Europa 2018: Bridges Saint Peter and the Sant'Angelo Bridge Scott 1680 The Sant'Angelo bridge has been the scene of several interesting events. It was first built by Emperor Hadrian around 134 AD and was named Publius Aelius Hadrianus. In the fifth century it was renamed Pons Sancti Petri. Between 589 and 590, the Tiber River flooded the city of Rome, followed by a plague. In response, Pope Gregory I ordered a solemn procession carrying an icon of the Virgin Mary with Child, originating from the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. While crossing the bridge of Hadrian he had a vision of Archangel Michael standing atop the Mausoleum of Hadrian (later renamed Castel Sant' Angelo) and interpreted this to be a sign that the plague was about to end, which it did. Pope Gregory later renamed the bridge Ponte Sant' Angelo. On Christmas Eve 1075, Pope Gregory VII was kidnapped while saying mass at Santa Maria Maggiore. He was imprisoned in a tower that had been built on the Ponte Sant' Angelo. The following morning the citizens of Rome found the Pope and destroyed the tower. In the last days of the 1450 Jubilee celebration, the bridge became very, very crowded with people. A horse got out of control and, in the mayhem, numerous people were killed. In response, two small chapels were built, which were later replaced in 1534 with statues of the Apostles Peter and Paul. In 1669, Pope Clement IX commissioned sculptures to be placed on the bridge. The statues depict ten angels holding instruments of the Passion of Christ. Here is one of those statues, which is located at the end of the bridge closest to the Castel Sant'Angelo:  "The Angel with the Sponge" by Antonio Giorgetti Ponte Sant'Angelo, Rome From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Throughout the years, the Sant' Angelo bridge has been a direct and convenient way of getting from the older parts of Rome to the Vatican. The back of the postcard has a stamp from 1949 (Scott #136) depicting Pope Pius XII opening the Holy Door for the 1950 Holy Year. The cancellation postmark (Type V-4) is for the 1950 Holy Year and reads: "Jubilee Year 1950 - Peace and Goodness - To All People." 
References: |
