Among the ruins of the Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome, a colony of cats has made a happy home.
Visiting Largo di Torre Argentina
Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome is a very odd place. Roads fairly heavy traffic flank what should be another concrete-heavy piazza. But instead of a square, there is a pit.
In the 1920s, demolition work to destroy the buildings of an old neighbourhood uncovered ruins from Ancient Rome. These include the Theatre of Pompey, and the Curia of Pompey next to it, where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in 44BC.
Where was Julius Caesar assassinated?
Excavations at Largo di Torre Argentina continued until the 1970s, with four temples from the era of the Roman Republic also uncovered.
In 2019, walkways and signs were installed so that visitors can walk through the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina. They don’t extend to Caesar’s assassination site, so if you want to see that, you’ll have to look from above. Brutus and his co-conspirators stabbed Julius Caesar to death roughly where the square foundations in front of the circular temple are.
The cats of Largo di Torre Argentina
What you might not be expecting when you visit Caesar’s assassination site is this little lady.
Or, indeed, her friends.
Several cats roam the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina, and they started arriving shortly after the excavations started. The dug-out pit below street level provided cave-like shelters – the perfect place for cats to call home.
The cats were soon noticed by local women, who started to leave food for the cats.
The creation of a cat sanctuary
Over time, the cat colony at the Largo di Torre Argentina became a permanent fixture. Feeding the cats morphed into spaying, neutering and getting veterinary treatment for the cats. By the 1990s, the Largo di Torre Argentina had become a semi-formal cat sanctuary, staffed by volunteers, and attracting attention from around the world.
These days, the Largo di Torre Argentina cat sanctuary has its own (somewhat idiosyncratic) website, allowing admirers to adopt the cats from afar or donate via Paypal to help maintain the feeding, sterilisation and care.
For visitors to Rome, however, the cats make the Torre di Largo Argentina a Roman ruin site with distinctive difference. It’s less Et Tu Brute, more Et Tu Cutie.
More Rome travel
Other Rome articles on Planet Whitley include:
For a good selection of Rome tours and activities, hunt here.
