Just a few hundred metres from the Vatican, the Papal State, and its landmark, St. Peter’s Basilica, stands Castel Sant’Angelo on the Tiber in Rome. Originally built as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD, it suffered the same fate as many ancient buildings: over the course of history, its use changed. While temples were converted into churches for the one new God, the mausoleum was expanded into a fortress. As a result, this building is imbued with a peculiar atmosphere. Despite faded colours and crumbling plaster, it only takes a few rays of sunshine to conjure an intense glow onto its defiant walls, which then radiate immense warmth and highlight the southern character of Italy’s capital.

All images from the ‘World Pictures’ edition