Ancient Roman sacred site · 4th–1st century BC · Rome

Largo di Torre Argentina

Largo di Torre Argentina is one of Rome’s most important archaeological discoveries, an open-air excavation in the heart of the Campo Marzio district revealing the remains of four Republican-era temples and the Theatre of Pompey complex, including the hall where Julius Caesar was assassinated on 15 March 44 BC. Unearthed during construction work in 1926–1929, the site preserves temples dating from the 4th to the 2nd centuries BC, representing some of the oldest sacred structures surviving in Rome, and today combines ancient archaeology with the city’s beloved cat sanctuary.

At a glance

Type: Ancient Roman sacred precinct (four Republican temples) and archaeological park
Period: Temples built c. 4th–2nd century BC; site excavated 1926–1929; opened to public 2023
Style: Republican Roman sacred architecture — tufa podium temples with Corinthian and Italic orders
Location: Largo di Torre Argentina, Campo Marzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Coordinates: 41.8951° N, 12.4770° E

Overview

The sacred area of Largo Argentina comprises four temples conventionally labelled A, B, C, and D in order of their excavation, along with the remains of the Curia of Pompey — a hall attached to the Theatre of Pompey where the Roman Senate was meeting on the Ides of March 44 BC when Caesar fell to the blades of the conspirators. The temples, dating from the period between the 4th and 1st centuries BC, display a remarkable diversity of plan and construction technique that charts the evolution of Roman religious architecture across three centuries. The site was opened to visitors at ground level for the first time in 2023 after decades of viewing from street level.

History

The four temples were built during Rome’s Republican golden age, when the Campus Martius was progressively developed with temples, porticoes, and theatres as Roman power and wealth expanded. Temple C is the oldest, dating to the late 4th or early 3rd century BC and dedicated to an uncertain deity — candidates include Feronia, Carmenta, and Juturnae. Temple A dates to the 3rd century BC, Temple B to c. 101 BC (likely dedicated to Fortuna Huiusce Diei), and Temple D to the 2nd century BC. The site was built over in the medieval period, accounting for its remarkable preservation, and was only revealed when Mussolini ordered demolition of the neighbourhood for urban renewal in 1926.

What you see

Visitors descend into the excavated area to walk among the tufa podium bases, column drums, and architectural fragments of the four temples set several metres below modern street level, vividly illustrating the accumulated depth of Roman history beneath the contemporary city. The remains of the Curia of Pompey — identified by ancient sources as the site of Caesar’s assassination — are marked within the complex. Since the 1990s the site has also been home to a famous colony of feral cats managed by a dedicated sanctuary, whose presence adds an unexpected and charming dimension to visits among the ancient ruins.

Cultural significance

Largo di Torre Argentina is among Rome’s most historically charged sites, combining some of the city’s oldest surviving sacred structures with the precise location of one of antiquity’s most consequential political murders. Its 2023 opening to visitors at archaeological level, after decades as a sunken spectacle observed only from above, marks a significant enhancement of public access to Rome’s Republican heritage and has made it one of the city’s essential cultural destinations.

Practical information

Address: Largo di Torre Argentina, 00186 Rome, Lazio, Italy
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, check official website for current hours and booking requirements
Admission: Fee applies for ground-level access (since 2023); check official website for current rates
Website: Sovraintendenza Roma — sovraintendenzaroma.it

Getting there

The site is centrally located in the Campo Marzio district, a 10-minute walk from the Pantheon and 15 minutes from Campo de’ Fiori. Bus lines 40, 62, 64, and 916 stop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II nearby. There is no Metro station within immediate walking distance; Spagna (Line A) requires a 20-minute walk. Tram 8 from Trastevere stops at Largo di Torre Argentina directly.

Sources & resources

Find it on the map

Google Maps See the location on a full map → Street View Walk around the place virtually → OpenStreetMap Free community cartography →

Historical events at this place (2)

Largo di Torre Argentina is a square in the historic center of Rome.



At its center, there is an archaeological area with the remains of four Roman temples dating back to the age of the Republic.



The square as it appears today was obtained between 1926 and 1929, by demolishing a pre-existing district of medieval origin.

The remains of the four temples are designated with the letters A, B, C and D (from the northernmost one to the southernmost one) as it is not determined with certainty to whom they were dedicated, and arise in front of a paved road, rebuilt in the imperial era after the fire of 80, shortly after the expansion of the Porticus Minucia (Frumentaria), which came to encompass the whole area.



In order of antiquity the temples are:

C IV-III century BC
A third century BC, rebuilt in the first century BC
D beginning of the 2nd century BC, rebuilt in the 1st century BC
B late 2nd-early 1st century BC


Temples A and C were built on the primitive country level, and were independent of each other, separated by a fairly large space.



The same areas of the temples were placed in the respective areas below the temples raised by some steps with respect to the surrounding land, in full autonomy from each other. Later the temple D.



The name of the square refers to the Torre Argentina, so called by Johannes Burckardt (about 1445 - 1506, Italianized name Burcardo), who from 1483 was master of ceremonies for five popes (Sixtus IV, Innocent VIII, Alexander VI Borgia, Pius III and Julius II).



The high prelate, who was born in Strasbourg (Argentoratum in Latin) and therefore liked to sign himself Argentinus, had bought a land in the area, on the remains of the Theater of Pompey, and, having demolished the medieval pre-existing buildings, had built his own palace there, called Casa del Burcardo, in via del Sudario 44.



After 1730 the property was partially used for the construction of the Argentina Theater (perpetuating over time the &quot;theatrical&quot; vocation of the area) and the tower, cut off in the 19th century and then incorporated into an elevation, is now unrecognizable, but has left its name at the square.

The tower that rises in Largo di Torre Argentina is the Torre del Papito, a tower from the Middle Ages, which however has nothing to do with the &quot;Torre Argentina&quot;.



In 1909 it was decided to rebuild some parts of the capital of the new Kingdom of Italy, including the Torre Argentina area.



The plans foresaw the inclusion of the Torre del Papito and the remains of a temple in the new buildings that were to be built in the area, after having demolished the existing buildings.

Following these works, including the demolition of the church of San Nicola dei Cesarini, the marble remains of a colossal statue were found; from these findings they began in-depth archaeological excavations that brought to light a sacred area, dating back to the Republican era.



The destination of the area as an archaeological area was in doubt until it was decided, following a plea sent by the archaeologist Giuseppe Marchetti Longhi directly to Benito Mussolini, to arrange the area to constitute the so-called Foro Argentina, inaugurated by the Duce in April of 1929.



The restored building of the Burcardo was destined to house the SIAE with annexed Library and Burcardo Theater Museum.



In the square therefore remains the Torre del Papito by now isolated from the original urban context, as well as the famous Teatro Argentina, built in 1732 by Duke Giuseppe Cesarini Sforza, currently passed among the properties of the municipality of Rome.

https://culturalheritageonline.com/places/largo-of-torre-argentina-square-l2868/

#CulturalHeritage #CHO

Largo of Torre Argentina Square