View of Rome: The Tiber River with the Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica in the Distance

In this view by Lallemand, the bulky Castel Sant’Angelo imposes itself in prominent relief opposite the more distant St. Peter’s Basilica, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Castel Sant’Angelo was originally built as the mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117–138) and his family, but served in the early medieval period as a citadel and prison because of its fortress-like architecture. (Today it houses a military and artistic museum.) It has long been beloved of tourists owing to the magnificent view from the terrace.