Statue de l'archange saint Michel, Bronze sculpture at Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy

The statue of Archangel Saint Michael is a bronze work by Peter Anton von Verschaffelt crowning Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome. The archangel is shown sheathing his sword, a gesture recalling the end of the plague of 590. It has stood on the summit since 1753, replacing a weathered marble by Raffaello da Montelupo from 1544.

The bronze statue was commissioned by Benedict XIV and installed in 1753, replacing a marble figure by Raffaello da Montelupo from 1544 that had weathered badly. It recalls the 9th-century legend that Pope Gregory I saw the archangel sheathing his sword above the castle during the plague of 590, signalling the epidemic's end.

The gesture of sheathing the sword recalls the legend that Pope Gregory I saw the archangel at the top of the castle during the plague of 590, signalling the epidemic's end. The archangel gave the castle its name, Castel Sant'Angelo. The statue is also mentioned in the novel Angels and Demons (2000) and its 2009 film adaptation.

The bronze statue crowns the top of Castel Sant'Angelo, so it is seen from below rather than up close. It faces the city across the Tiber; the bridge of Sant'Angelo and the riverbanks give the clearest line of sight. The figure is best made out in low morning or evening light, when the silhouette stands out against the sky.

The statue is often overlooked because many visitors focus on the interior rooms of the fortress. Spending time observing the details of the angel's hand positions and facial expression reveals surprising artistic care.