Tomb of Cecilia Metella

This ancient Roman tomb on Rome's Via Appia Antica became a headquarters of papal-endorsed highway robbery in the Middle Ages

The Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella.

Past the catacombs of the Ancient Appian Way, on the left side of the road at the top of a hillock, rises the Tomb of Celia Metella.

This best of the Via Appia tombs is the resting place to the daughter-in-law of Crassus, a 1st-century BC land mogul and Julius Caesar's financier.

The tomb was preserved in the early 14th century when Dante's nemesis Pope Boniface VIII donated it to his own powerful family. They turned it into the base of a massive fortress (which explains the crenellations atop the tomb), used to guard the road and exact tolls.

Rather than pay, Romans developed the Via Appia Nuova to the east, leaving this stretch of ancient road little trafficked and little developed—in effect preserving much of it until scientific archaeology and popular Romantic interest in the ancient world came along in the 19th century to restore what was left.

Tips & links

Details

ADDRESS

Via Appia Antica 161
tel. +39-06-784-4271 or +39-06-3996-7700
archeoroma.beniculturali.it
or
www.coopculture.it

OPEN

Monday–Friday: 9am–1pm, 2pm–5pm
Saturday: 9am–2pm

Last admission: 1 hr before closing

ADMISSION

€6 (free first Sun of month)
Roma Pass: Yes (free, or 50% off)

TRANSPORT

Bus: 660 (from Colli Albani stop on Metro A); 118 (from Piramide stop on Metro B)
Archeobus: Trambusopen.com

TOURS

How long does the Tomb of Cecilia Metella take?

Planning your day: It only takes about 20 minutes to see the site. » Rome itineraries

Tomb of Cecilia Metella tours

Take a guided tour of the Tomb of Cecilia Metella with one of our partners:

Cumulative tickets & passes

The regular ticket covers entry to the Appian Way group (Baths of Caracalla, Tomb of Cecilia Metella, Villa of the Quintili) for €6 (you get seven days in which to visit them both).

I advise against the Archeologia Card,which you will also see offered. This card covers entry to the Appian Way sights plus the Downtown Ancient Rome group (Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and the Palatine Hill; normally €12) and the Museo Nazionale Romano group (Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Palazzo Altemps, Baths of Diocletian, Crypta Balbi, Aula Ottagona; normally €7–€10).

Sounds good, right? Some major-league sights in there, yes? True: But the savings is actually only €2–€5—and you can get more bang for your sightseeing buck by using the Roma Pass instead to cover the Forum/Colosseum (plus something else major like the Galleria Borghese) and then get 50% (or €3) off the Appian Way sights as well. » more

How to get to the Tomb of Cecilia Metella

Bus 660: Leaves from Colli Albani Metro stop. It heads toward the Via Appia Antica, where it turns around just south of the tomb.

Bus 118: Leaves from in front of the Piramide Metro stop (line B). It follows the Via Appia Antica all the way past Domine Quo Vadis? and the east side of the San Callisto catacombs to the San Sebastiano catacombs, a short walk north of the tomb. (The bus then doglegs left to continue down Via Appia Pignatelli; an eastern parallel to the Via Appia Antica).

Archeobus: This open-top tourist bus (www.trambusopen.com) leaves from Piazza del Cinquecento (in front of Termini train station), drives past many ancient sights in the historic center, and eventually makes it way out to the Via Appia Antica. It's a hop-on/hop-off deal, passing every 30 minutes from 9am to 4:30pm. Tickets cost €20 and a re good for 24 hours; you can buy them on board.

Nearby...

These sights aren't terribly close to the rest of Rome. If you want to make a day dedicated to the outskirts of the wall, these are the places to see:

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