Self-Guided Angels & Demons Tour Through Rome

A self-guided tour of sites from the movie based on Dan Brown’s Novel: Angels & Demons

Are you a fan of Dan Brown’s books? If you’ve read or seen ‘Angels & Demons’, you might enjoy finding the markers across Rome, identified by Robert Langdon’s character. These markers helped them to find the four kidnapped preferiti. This Self-Guided Angels & Demons Tour through Rome has all the quotes from the poem used to find the markers, map links for each location, and details to help you remember each scene.

When I (Charlene) was planning my solo trip to Rome, I was watching movies that took place in Rome. When I watched Angels and Demons (for the 15th time), I took note of all the places they went. Good thing because I couldn’t find a list or self-guided tour online. And now I’ve recreated that for you. I’ve inserted links to Google Maps for each location, so open those and save them!*You may not want to visit these in the order they are depicted in the film. It’s more efficient to visit them as you visit nearby sites and make your way through Rome. Bookmark this page so you can reference it during your trip.

Skip to a filming Location:

• Scene’s and Filming Locations
  • 1st & 2nd Locations (The Pantheon and Chigi Chapel)
  • 3rd Location (St. Peter’s Square)
  • 4th Location (Santa Maria Delle Vittoria)
  • 5th Location (Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica)
  • 6th Location (Piazza Navona)
  • 7th & 8th Location (Castel Sant’Angelo & Pasetto di Borgo)
  • 9th Location (St. Peter’s Baldachin/ St. Peter’s Basilica)

Scenes and Filming Locations

When Robert Langdon arrives at Vatican City, he is told about the first poem they received from the kidnapper.

“We will destroy your 4 pillars. We will brand your preferiti and sacrifice them on the altars of science. Then bring your church down upon you. Vatican City will be consumed by light. A shining star at the end of the path of illumination.”

Robert determines that he must find the path to illumination, a secret path used by the Illuminati to prove themselves. He believes he can find the start of the path in a text written by Bernini. In the text, he and Vittoria find the poem:

“From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole. Cross Rome, the mystic elements unfold. The path of light is laid the sacred test. Let angels guide thee on thy lofty quest.”

1st & 2nd Locations (The Pantheon and Chigi Chapel)

The first place they go is The Pantheon to find that Santi’s (Rafael’s) earthly tomb is actually not there. They find his tomb but realize they need to find a chapel he designed, with pyramids or something scientific. This takes them to the Chigi Chapel (pronounced Key-G, once called Capella della Terra, meaning Chapel of Earth). The chapel has a representation of the planets on the ceiling and some pyramids on the walls. They find the first of the preferiti, with ‘Earth’ brand on his chest, beneath the demon’s hole, on the floor.

The Pantheon is just €5 to enter. If you book your ticket in advance, you can skip the line. The Pantheon is open from 9 am- 7 pm every day.

 ‘Devil’s Hole‘ inside Chigi Chapel, Rome, Italy

The real chapel is located inside the Basilica Parrocchiale di Santa Maria del Popolo.This is next to Piazza Del Popolo, on the north side.  This is the large piazza with an obelisk at one end. Chigi Chapel is the 2nd or 3rd chapel on the left of the entrance to the Basilica. *Note that this is purely fictional; this piece is not removable, and there is nothing hidden below. In fact, in the movie, they enter the building across the way; they don’t enter the real basilica.

The Basilica Parrocchiale di Santa Maria del Popolo is free to enter; it is an active church and has closing hours throughout the day, so check the hours before going.

Pro Tip: The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum is next door; if you want to see some models of the master’s designs, stop inside. Tickets are €14.

3rd Location (St. Peter’s Square)

At the base of St. Peter’s Square (center), you will see an obelisk surrounded by Bernini stones on the ground. These are flat ‘statues’ or carvings on the ground. ‘Est ponente’ is written around the air ‘sculpture’ which is blowing air towards the city of Rome. The cardinal, with ‘Air’ branded on his chest, is found on the steps to the obelisk.

Pro Tip: The Piazza di San Pietro is often crowded. Go there in the evening so you can easily look at the ground to find this sculpture.

4th Location (Santa Maria Delle Vittoria)

The air blowing from the mouth has five lines pointing toward Rome. Langdon heads back to the Vatican Archives to locate a church that has something representing fire or water. The last two altars of science. He thinks that the statue of Saint Teresa on Fire, aka The Ecstasy of Teresa, must be the next marker. This is in one of the small chapels inside Santa Maria Delle Vittoria. This is where they find the 3rd of the preferiti branded with ‘Fire’ on his chest. They are still too late to save the cardinal.

Once you climb the steps from Via Venti Settembre, enter the green door of Santa Maria Delle Vittoria. You’ll find the chapel with Bernini’s Saint Teresa on Fire about halfway down the church on the left. 

This church is still holding regular services, so check their hours to make sure you can go in (it’s free to enter).

Saint Teresa on Fire/ Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

5th Location (Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica)

While Langdon is at Santa Maria Delle Vittoria, the Camerlengo and Vittoria are discussing the circumstances of the pope’s death. In a video that the Swiss guard received, the kidnapper says:

“With man’s solution, we stilled his heart. With his own needle, we pierce his unholy veil.”

They believe this means that the pope was killed with his own medicine. 

Vittoria says that an overdose of his medication can be seen and proven after death. Initially, they do not want to check, as papal autopsies are forbidden. Later, they decide to go into the Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica/ Vatican Grottoes to open his tomb. They discovered that he had been murdered.

If you want to go into the crypt, you can join a tour. The St. Peter’s Basilica Priority Access Tour with Dome Climb & Crypt. It is a good way to do this without a Vatican City tour. This tour focuses on a climb on top of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Basilica itself, and, of course, the crypt.

6th Location (Piazza Navona)

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Piazza Navona), Rome, Italy

Inside the chapel with Saint Teresa on Fire (at Santa Maria Delle Vittoria), another angel points towards the next marker. With a map, Langdon determines that ‘crossing Rome’ literally means a cross. Drawing a cross on a map using the first three markers, he finds the fourth one.  The next marker is in a fountain designed by Bernini at Piazza Navona. 

The fountain of four rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiume) is in the center of this piazza. The fountain has an obelisk and a dove (the angel of peace) on top. In this scene, Langdon and a bystander from a restaurant save the cardinal from drowning. This is the only cardinal that they were able to save; he had ‘Water’ branded on his chest. The cardinal tells Robert that he was being held at Castel Sant’Angelo. At the end of the movie, this cardinal becomes the next pope.

Pro Tip: This is one of the most beautiful Piazzas in Rome, so take some extra time here. Grab a gelato and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s worth seeing this place in the day and in the evening (when the crowds are fewer).

7th & 8th Location (Castel Sant’Angelo & Pasetto di Borgo)

To find “the shining star at the end of the path of illumination,” they go to Castel Sant’Angelo. They believe that the shining star is the antimatter canister, being that it is explosive.

They cross Ponte Saint Angelo, the bridge that is lined with statues, to get to the Castel. This bridge is one of the most picturesque bridges in Rome. In the movie, this is where they go to find the protagonist. They believe that the canister must be there if the cardinals were held there. They see the two statues of the archangel Michael, which are pointing down to the underground tunnels. Robert and Vittoria discover a secret passage to the Vatican (the Passetto di Borgo).

The secret passage is next to a pentagram where the walls overlap. I don’t know if that’s where the entrance actually is. There IS a real passage used to escape danger, and one side is within the Castel. After a run-in with the protagonist, they find the portal (senza chiave), which opens only from inside the Vatican.

For this site, we don’t recommend a tour; you can get an audio guide with your tickets and visit at your own pace. Get your ticket with an audio guide for Castel Saint’Angelo here.*You’ll also find the combined ticket with entry to the Passetto di Borgo (secret passage from the Vatican) on this page.

Pro Tip: Try getting to Castel Sant’Angelo about an hour or so before sunset, and watch the sunset over St. Peter’s Basilica.

9th Location (St. Peter’s Baldachin/ St. Peter’s Basilica)

Still trying to find the antimatter, they review what’s left of the original poem, “Upon this rock I will build my church. Or bring it down upon itself.” They realize that this must be beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. They find the antimatter in the crypt, below the basilica, near St. Peter’s tomb (he was buried below St. Peter’s Baldachin). You used to need special written permission to see St. Peter’s Tomb. Now you can either book through the Vatican Excavation Office or through a tour agency. 

It was fun to sprinkle these locations in as I wandered around Rome. It helped me to organize my time in Rome, too. I learned more about the history of the locations and artwork to complement the information I had from the movie. I hope this self-guided tour allows you to see Rome through another lens.

Your next read:

The Best Things To Do in Rome, and How To Do Them

Rome Travel Guide, designed for first-timers, and ends with other nearby places to visit.

Calabria Travel Guide: get spicy in Calabria while you soak up the true Italian slow life.

The Best Things To Do In Florence And How To Do Them

If you’re not excited about spending 15-30 hours planning an amazing trip, we get it. If you would rather have someone do the research, planning, & booking for your custom travel itinerary, visit our Custom Travel Planning page.

-XO, The Twins

How can we help? We would love to hear your questions!
Contact us by email at thetwins@twicethetraveler.com

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