Where Was Julius Caesar Assassinated?

For centuries, the ancient remains of this area were hidden beneath layers of later construction. By the Middle Ages, houses, churches, and narrow streets completely covered the ancient structures, erasing visible traces of their Roman origins. What modern visitors now see as a large open square was once a dense urban neighborhood.

The name “Torre Argentina” does not actually date back to antiquity. Instead, it derives from a Renaissance tower built by Johannes Burckardt, a papal official who came from Strasbourg – known in Latin as Argentoratum. In the late fifteenth century he constructed a residence here, and the tower that gave the area its name eventually became one of the defining landmarks of the district.

The rediscovery of the ancient site came unexpectedly in 1927 during major urban redevelopment works. As buildings were demolished to reshape the neighborhood, workers uncovered large marble fragments: two arms and a head belonging to a colossal statue. Archaeologists quickly identified the sculpture as part of a representation of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck.

The discovery halted construction and prompted systematic archaeological excavations. As the ground was carefully cleared, archaeologists began to uncover something extraordinary – a large sacred complex containing the remains of four Roman temples alongside structures connected to the Theatre of Pompey. What had initially appeared to be a routine demolition project quickly revealed one of the most important archaeological discoveries in modern Rome.

At the center of the excavated zone lies what archaeologists call the Area Sacra, or Sacred Area, a cluster of temples dating from the Roman Republic. These sanctuaries were built between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, when the Campus Martius was rapidly transforming into one of Rome’s most important public districts. At the time, this area lay just outside the city’s original sacred boundary and gradually filled with temples, monuments, and public spaces that reflected the Republic’s growing power and prosperity.

Because their original dedications are not always certain, archaeologists refer to the buildings simply as Temple A, B, C, and D. The oldest of them, Temple C, dates to the late 4th or early 3rd century BC and was likely dedicated to the Italic goddess Feronia. Built from rough tufa blocks typical of early Roman construction, it preserves the character of a much earlier phase of Roman architecture, long before marble became the dominant building material of the city.

Temple A was constructed somewhat later, in the 3rd century BC, and may have been dedicated to the water nymph Juturna. Like many ancient structures in Rome, its life extended far beyond antiquity. In the early Middle Ages the building was transformed into a Christian church known as San Nicola de Calcarario, and traces of this later adaptation remain visible within the surviving walls.

Temple B is perhaps the most visually distinctive of the group because of its circular plan. Built in 101 BC by the general Quintus Lutatius Catulus after his victory over the Cimbri, it was dedicated to Fortuna Huiusce Diei – “Fortune of This Day.” The colossal statue fragments discovered during the excavations almost certainly belonged to this temple, suggesting that a towering image of the goddess once dominated the sanctuary.

The largest of the temples is Temple D, constructed in the 2nd century BC and probably dedicated to the Lares Permarini, protective spirits associated with sailors and maritime journeys. Much of this temple still lies beneath the modern street above the site.

Together these temples formed an important religious complex that remained active for centuries. Over time they were repaired, rebuilt, and integrated into the monumental architecture that began to transform the Campus Martius during the final decades of the Roman Republic.

In 55 BC the powerful general Pompey the Great transformed this part of the city with an ambitious architectural project: the construction of Rome’s first permanent stone theater. Until that moment, permanent theaters had been viewed with suspicion in Rome, where public spectacles were typically staged in temporary wooden structures.

Pompey’s Theatre was therefore a bold statement of prestige and power. The complex was far more than a performance venue. It included extensive porticoes, gardens, temples, and assembly spaces that created one of the largest monumental complexes in the city.

Among these buildings was a large hall known as the Curia of Pompey. This structure occasionally served as a meeting place for the Roman Senate, particularly during periods when the Senate house in the Roman Forum was unavailable due to damage or reconstruction. In this unlikely setting – within a theater complex celebrating Pompey’s achievements – the Roman Senate gathered on one of the most fateful mornings in history.

On March 15, 44 BC, the day known in the Roman calendar as the Ides of March, Julius Caesar arrived at the Curia of Pompey to attend a meeting of the Senate. By this point Caesar had accumulated extraordinary power. Having emerged victorious from years of civil war, he had been appointed dictator for life – a position that alarmed many members of the Roman political elite.

A group of senators had secretly formed a conspiracy against him. Among the plotters were prominent figures such as Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, men who believed that killing Caesar was necessary to preserve the Roman Republic. As the meeting began, the conspirators surrounded Caesar inside the Senate chamber. One by one they drew their daggers and attacked. Ancient sources report that Caesar was stabbed twenty-three times in the violent struggle that followed.

According to tradition, he collapsed at the base of a statue of Pompey, the very general he had defeated in the civil war years earlier. The symbolism was striking: Caesar died beneath the monument of his rival, inside a building that celebrated Pompey’s legacy.

The conspirators believed that the assassination would restore the Republic. Instead, it plunged Rome into another cycle of civil wars that ultimately led to the rise of the Roman Empire under Caesar’s adopted heir, Augustus.

While the ruins preserve a dramatic chapter of Roman history, Largo di Torre Argentina has also become famous for something far more unexpected: its cats.

For decades the sunken archaeological area has been home to a large colony of stray cats cared for by volunteers. A cat sanctuary operates nearby, providing food, medical care, and adoption services for the animals. Watching the cats lounging among ancient columns and temple steps is a great way to pass an idle hour in Rome.

For many years visitors could only look down at the site from the sidewalks above. The archaeological area sits several meters below modern street level, and for decades it remained inaccessible to the public.

That changed in 2023, when a series of elevated walkways and viewing platforms opened, allowing visitors to enter the site and explore the ruins from within. These pathways provide a close view of the temples and allow visitors to better understand how the ancient complex was arranged within the landscape of the Campus Martius.

The site is located in Largo di Torre Argentina, within easy walking distance of the Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, and Campo de’ Fiori. It makes a natural stop during a walk through Rome’s historic center.

The archaeological site is open from Tuesday-Sunday:

• 9.30 to 19.00 from the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in October
• 9.30 to 16.00 from the last Sunday in October to the last Saturday in March

Tickets cost €8, with €5 reductions. Residents of Rome enter for free.