Area Sacra di Largo Argentina (the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina, the specific archaeological site in the historic center of Rome (the Largo di Torre Argentina piazza, 500m east of the Campo de' Fiori and 800m south of the Pantheon) whose specific content (the four Republican-era Roman temples (the Temple A, the Temple B, the Temple C, and the Temple D, named alphabetically west-to-east because the specific deity attribution of each temple is still the subject of the specific scholarly debate that the archaeological record hasn't definitively resolved) excavated in 1926-1928 during the specific Mussolini urban renewal program that exposed the first Republican-era sacred complex in the Rome historic center) and whose specific historical association (the specific portico of Pompey (the Porticus Pompei, the specific colonnade complex adjacent to the four temples in which the Julius Caesar assassination occurred on March 15, 44 BC (the Ides of March)) make it the most historically charged single outdoor Roman archaeological site in any Rome neighborhood): the site where the most consequential political murder in European history occurred is also the site where approximately 200 cats live permanently, fed and cared for by the specific cat sanctuary (the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, see below).
The four temples (the specific Republican-era dating, the oldest of the four is the Temple C, the tufa-column temple that the specific archaeological sequence dates to the late 4th century BC (approximately 310 BC), making it one of the oldest Roman temples with standing remains in Rome): Temple C (the oldest, the specific round tufa column base arrangement (the specific circular plan (the tholos type) with the tufa columns): the scholars' debate identifies this temple as either the temple to Feronia (the Sabine goddess of fertility) or the temple to Juturna (the water goddess)). Temple A (the most completely preserved, the specific three brick columns with the entablature still in place, the specific floor level visible at the 4m below the modern street grade that the 1929 excavation revealed: identified as the Temple of Juturna or the Temple of Fortuna Huiusce Diei)). Temple B (the round temple, the specific circular plan (the tholos type) with the specific tufa columns whose number and arrangement identify it as the Temple of the Fortune of This Day (Fortuna Huiusce Diei) dedicated after the victory at the Battle of the River Arausio (105 BC) by the specific Roman general Quintus Lutatius Catulus)). Temple D (the largest and least excavated, the specific west end of the complex under the modern Via Florida, the western half of the temple still beneath the street).
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Largo Argentina: The Caesar Connection, the Cats, and the New Museum
The Caesar Assassination
The specific Caesar assassination connection (the most important single archaeological-historical identification associated with Largo Argentina): the Julius Caesar assassination (March 15, 44 BC, the Ides of March) occurred in the specific hall of the Curia of Pompey (the Curia Pompei, the specific meeting hall of the Pompey theater complex that adjoined Largo Argentina temple area and that the Roman Senate used as the specific meeting location on the day of Caesar's assassination because the specific Senate house (the Curia Julia on the Roman Forum) was under renovation): the specific spot within Largo Argentina archaeological zone where the INGV (the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) geophysical survey (the 2020-2021 survey that mapped the underground structures of Largo Argentina zone) identified the specific Curia Pompei hall position (approximately 30m north of Temple B, currently under the modern Via di Torre Argentina street surface). Largo Argentina Museum (the new underground museum opened July 2023, the specific museum installed in the archaeological basement of Largo Argentina excavation zone): the museum (free entry with the Area Sacra ticket (approximately €9). The museum circuit includes the specific Julius Caesar assassination narrative (the specific digital reconstruction of the Curia Pompei and the March 15 events) as the primary visitor engagement element).
Area Sacra Largo Argentina: tours & tickets
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See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The Cat Sanctuary
La Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary (the specific cat colony that inhabits Largo Argentina excavation zone): approximately 200 cats (the specific feral cat population that the Torre Argentina cat sanctuary (the gattile, the cat refuge) maintains in the archaeological zone with the specific daily feeding, the veterinary care (the sterilization program that the sanctuary operates to maintain the stable cat population without increase), and the specific visitor engagement (the cats visible on the Roman temple ruins, on the temple steps, and in the specific underground spaces of the excavation zone provide the most specifically Roman photographic subject, the cat on the ancient Roman temple step is the single most reproduced single Largo Argentina image)): the specific sanctuary (the ONLUS Torre Argentina, the non-profit that manages the cat colony, accepts donations, and places the adoptable cats): the sanctuary volunteers are visible at the cat feeding times (daily 12:00 and 17:00 approximately) and welcome visitor interaction with the cats.
Q&A: Area Sacra Largo Argentina Rome
Is Largo Argentina worth visiting as a tourist?
Yes, with the specific prior understanding of what it is (an outdoor-accessible archaeological site visible from the street level for free plus the specific underground museum (€9) for the narrative context). The specific Largo Argentina visitor value: the four Republican-era temples (visible from the street perimeter for free, the specific street-level viewing of the 4m-below-grade excavation from the railings along the Largo di Torre Argentina). The underground museum (the €9 ticket that accesses the museum circuit with the Caesar assassination narrative, the specific archaeological objects, and the cat sanctuary close access). And the specific historical significance (the most consequentially historical single outdoor Rome space, the site of the most important single political event in the Roman history is simultaneously one of the most casually visited (the tourists stop to photograph the cats, not the temples) and the most historically resonant). The visit duration: the museum circuit (approximately 45-60 minutes). The external viewing of the temples from the street (free, 15-20 minutes).
