The Rome IndexLargo di Torre Argentina
Where Julius Caesar was assassinated — now a cat sanctuary among Republican-era temples.
The history
The four Republican-era temple ruins at Largo di Torre Argentina date from the 4th to 2nd centuries BC — some of the oldest intact temple remains in Rome. The adjacent Theatre of Pompey is where Julius Caesar was stabbed in 44 BC, at a meeting of the Senate being held there while the Curia was under repair.
The cats
The ruins have been home to Rome's largest cat colony for decades — several hundred cats live among the ancient temples, cared for by a volunteer organisation (Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary) that offers adoption and maintains a small clinic on site. Visitors can watch the cats from the surrounding walkways or descend into the excavation on a guided visit.
The museum
A small accessible walkway now allows visitors to walk through the excavation properly, opened in 2023 — worth the modest entry fee for the perspective it gives on the ruins' scale.