Largo Argentina: you can now visit where Julius Caesar was killed

The ancient Roman remains of the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina (Sacred Area of Largo Argentina) have long been visible from street level in Largo di Torre Argentina, a busy, crowded square a few minutes’ walk from Piazza Navona and Piazza Venezia. To the frustration of many first-time tourists in Rome, however, this archaeological site has never been open to the public, and the only ones who have been able to enjoy a walk among the ruins there have been the… stray cats from the cat shelter located at one end of the area!

A new open-air museum for Rome

Well, that particular kind of frustration is over – visitors will now be able to descend some 20 feet below the modern city to the street level of what was once Republican Rome and learn a new chapter of its history, one that is complex and fascinating, with the ghost of one of the most famous Romans to ever live looming around!

It’s no more than a “bite” into the modern city, but the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina is incredibly important to archaeologists because it is literally a cross-section of Rome before the Empire was even conceived. The temples, visible even from street level, are mostly built of the local rock, tufa, a small detail that tells us of a smaller city, with smaller finances – one that hadn’t expanded very far from home.

Julius Caesar, meet… Mussolini

It’s an archaeological miracle, because remains from the Roman Republic are very hard to come by, or even this well-preserved, but the Area Sacra was found by “accident” – when none other than Benito Mussolini wanted a subway line to connect the center of Rome to the EUR area, where the 1942 World’s Fair was to be held. Instead, Italy went to war – and we know how that part of history turned out.

This excavation remained untouched even in the early 2000s, when another subway line was planned to bypass this area. While that project is still underway, it is obvious that the buildings found here are too fragile to dig near, and so the idea of a stop in this square was scrapped (… or was it?). The excavations, probably without Mussolini’s knowledge, not only uncovered four different temples, but also part of the famous Theatre of Pompey, where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC.

Modern patron of the arts: the Bulgari brand

A short walk from many of our managed properties, including newcomer Minerva 5, the Area Sacra di Largo di Torre Argentina has been carefully worked on over the past few years, thanks to a generous donation from none other than the Bulgari brand. No stranger to patronizing the arts in Rome (or worldwide), the famous jewelry company funded the entire project, which includes elevated walkways for up-close views without disturbing the delicate soil of Republican Rome. It’s impressive to think that just across the street from Pompey’s Theater, buildings sit on what is surely the rest of the ancient city, sleeping under tons of silt and debris from the Tiber River, compacted by millennia.

How to visit the Area Sacra

In addition to the restoration of the open-air excavation, two exhibition areas have been created in the Largo di Torre Argentina: one below street level in Via di San Nicola de’ Cesarini, and one in the medieval Torre del Papito, which has stood empty for years at one corner of the square. Keep an eye out for the latter, as there is a ticket office there (or you can buy online). For 5 EUR, you can walk where Caesar walked and enjoy the temporary exhibitions set up in the tower or in the area below. Group bookings can be made by calling the official Rome Call Center, 060608 (don’t forget Italy’s international code if calling from a foreign number!). The Area Sacra di Largo Argentina is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9.30 am to 7.30 pm. For further information, read here.