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

Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella
Via Appia Antica 161
tel. +39-06-3996-7700 or +39-06-780-2465
archeoroma.beniculturali.it
Open Tues–Sun 9am–4:30pm (may keep later hours in spring, summer, and fall)
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Il Mausoleo di Cecelia Metella
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

Planning your day: It only takes about 20 minutes to see this sight.

Save with a discount pass: Don't forget to use your Roma Pass. No, don't use up ne of your two freebies on this. However, with the pass you will still get a discount on admission to the tomb and any other non-catacomb sights on the Appian Way.

(Don't bother with the Archaeologia Card, since its sights are now better covered by the Roma Pass—if you use it to get in free to the big ticket items also covered by the card—and the price has risen, making this cumulative ticket longer a good deal.)
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 €10 and a re good for 24 hours; you can buy them on board.

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This material was last updated February 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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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

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