Largo di Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary
In the middle of Rome's busiest bus interchange lies a sunken archaeological site where Julius Caesar was assassinated on 15 March 44 BC — and where today some 130 rescue cats roam freely among four Republican-era temples dating to the 3rd century BC. It is one of the most surreal and moving spots in the entire city.
The History Beneath Your Feet
The four temples (labelled A, B, C and D because their original names are still debated) are among the oldest in Rome and were only excavated in the 1920s. The spot where Caesar fell, at the base of Pompey's Theatre portico, is marked — look for the information panel near Temple B.
The site reopened to visitors in 2023 with a new walkway system allowing you to descend among the ruins for the first time. Entry is €6 and includes a small but well-curated museum explaining the site's layered history.
The Cats of Torre Argentina
The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary (gattile) operates from a basement room on the site's edge and is run entirely by volunteers. You can visit, pet the resident cats (many are disabled or elderly rescues), and adopt if you are a Roman resident.
Even if you are not a cat person, the contrast of a purring tabby draped across a 2,300-year-old travertine column is an image that sums up Rome's glorious indifference to the passage of time.
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