The emperor Hadrian built the Pons Aelius (now Ponte Sant’Angelo) in 136 CE to connect his mausoleum to the city center, and it's still the most spectacular approach to the former imperial tomb. Dante records that ticket offices were once needed on the bridge to regulate the great number of pilgrims.
It was Gian Lorenzo Bernini who brought the bridge to life, designing the imposing 10 angel sculptures that line it in 1668. They are carrying the symbols of the Passion.
The three central arches of the bridge are part of the original structure; the end arches were restored and enlarged between 1892 and '94 during the construction of the Lungotevere embankments.
