Three hundred years ago ten large stone angels were placed on each side of the long bridge, and another angel was put high on top of the round castle. Since then Hadrian's Tomb is often called the Castle of the Holy Angels, and the bridge is called the Bridge of the Holy Angels.
The Bridge of the Holy Angels
As Molly and May drove slowly across this fine old bridge between the two rows of angels, they felt very small and very young indeed.
"I wonder if any of the bridges in America will last eighteen hundred years," Molly said thoughtfully. "And what do you suppose the boys and girls were like in those days?"
"I believe they were very much like the Roman children to-day," said her father. "And I am sure those old Roman men must have been very wise to build such fine bridges as this one. In a few moments we shall see the largest church in all the world."
"Why, I thought the largest buildings were all in America," said May.
"The largest and tallest business buildings are there," said her father, "but not the largest churches. Half a dozen of the big churches in New York City could be set down right inside the Cathedral of St. Peter's, and forty thousand people can walk about in the Cathedral and not be crowded at all."
"Oh, dear! We shall get lost in such a big place!" exclaimed May.
But when they were once inside the great cathedral, it did not seem so large as they had expected. Not until they had walked around one of the great pillars which support the high dome did they realize how very, very large the cathedral was. They had to take as many steps in walking around that one pillar as they would have taken in walking around their own home in America. And there were four of these great pillars, besides many smaller ones. On some of the pillars there were marble figures of babies as large as men, and figures of men as large as giants, while each of the many chapels along the two sides of the cathedral were the size of small churches.