The National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo can be considered at the same time a monument, an archaeological site and a museum. Inside are preserved numerous and heterogeneous collections, here merged in different historical moments. Visiting the museum, you will discover the fascinating history of the building that houses it. Built around 123 A.D. as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian and his family, Castel Sant'Angelo accompanied for almost two thousand years the fate and history of the capital. From a funerary monument to a fortified outpost, from a dark prison to a splendid Renaissance residence, from a Risorgimento prison to a museum, Castel Sant'Angelo embodies the story of the Eternal City, where past and present seem inextricably linked. Founded as a museum of war memorabilia and military, such as weapons and uniforms, in recent decades the exhibition space of Castel Sant'Angelo has been enhanced with an impressive collection of pottery (with examples dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century) and an interesting group of medieval and modern sculptures.