Gargano Comes to Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo's Historical Origins
Louis Shwartz
This article explores the early medieval transformation of a pagan Roman monument, Hadrian's tomb, into Christian fortress consecrated to St Michael. Ado Vienne's claim that Boniface IV (608–15) dedicated an elevated chapel archangel atop ‘moles Hadriani’ is challenged and reexamined. The many similarities between Michael's shrine on Monte Gargano this instead indicate angelic devotion spread from Rome, sometime in eighth century, Lombards were likely transmitters.
The Journal of Ecclesiastical History