1559-1565, Vatican, Pius IV. Bronze "Castel Sant' Angelo" Medal. NGC MS-64 BN!

Mint Period: 1559-1565
References: CNORP III 525.
Medallist: after Gianfederico Bonzagni
Denomination: Medal - Castel Sant' Angelo /
Condition: Certified and graded by NGC as MS-64 BN!
Weight: ca. 13gm
Diameter: 31mm   
Material: Bronze

Obverse: Bearded bust right, wearing cape and morse.
Legend:  PIVS · IIII · PONTIFEX · MAX

Reverse: Aerial view of the Castel Sant'Angelo (Hadrian's Tomb) and the surrounding fortifications.
Legend: INSTAVRATA.

 

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, also known as Castel Sant'Angelo (Italian pronunciation: [kaˈstɛl sanˈtandʒelo]; English: Castle of the Holy Angel), is a towering rotunda (cylindrical building) in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The popes later used the building as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.

Pope Pius IV (31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a branch of the House of Medici and used the same coat of arms. Although modern historians have found no proof of this connection, the Medici of Florence recognized the claims of the Medici of Milan in the early 16th century.

Pope Paul III appointed Medici Archbishop of Ragusa, and sent him on diplomatic missions to Germany and Hungary. He presided over the final session of the Council of Trent. His nephew, Cardinal Charles Borromeo, was a close adviser. As pope, Pius IV initiated a number of building projects in Rome, including one to improve the water supply.