One of the most dramatic images of the Archangel Michael is in Rome. Pope Saint Gregory the Great is believed to have seen a vision of the Archangel Saint Michael standing atop what was known as Hadrian’s tomb while he prayed for salvation from the plague in 590 AD. Many years later, the statue was constructed in commemoration of the event, destroyed during an uprising, then struck by lightning and destroyed once more. Hadrian’s tomb was re-named the Castel Sant’Angelo and its crowning angelic statue continues to preside over Rome. The angel embodies religious as well as political strength, due to his personification as a warrior and holy protector. As the crowning jewel of the Castel Sant’Angelo, the grand statue has featured broad wings and a sword. In Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, the titular diva plunges to her tragic yet exceedingly romantic death. As the audience loses sight of her descending form at the top of an eerie castle, a prominent, larger-than-life figure looms over the scene: a statue of Saint Michael.
