See wild cats roam among the ruins at a cat sanctuary in Rome

At the Largo di Torre Argentina cat sanctuary in Rome, you just might see a cat sunning itself on the very spot where Julius Caesar was assassinated.

This fascinating archeological site below street level  is located just a few blocks from the Pantheon.  The Roman ruins here date back as far as 4th century B.C.  The cats moved in when the site was excavated in 1929.

It’s become a major Rome tourist attraction.

But it’s hard to say whether people come here for the history or the cats. 

Read on for the story on both, plus what you need to know to visit this Rome cat sanctuary. 

The ‘Ides of March’ at Largo di Torre Argentina

Beware of the Ides of March!  That was the famous message delivered by a soothsayer to Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play.  Supposedly that really happened on March 15th, 44 B.C. the corresponding date on our calendar.

But Julius Caesar didn’t head the warnings.  He was the Dictator of the Roman Republic at the time and he had a meeting to go to in a hall next to the Theatre of Pompey.    The Theatre was located on a site with four sacred temples, the area now known as Largo di Torre Argentina.  In the photo, it’s the area to the right where the white stones are piled up.

When Caesar entered the meeting, he was surrounded by senators with daggers.  They were threatened by his power and they stabbed him 23 times, enough to do the job.    This brought the era of the Roman Republic to an end and was considered a turning point in Roman history.

You might be wondering why the square has the name “Argentina”.  In the 15th century, an important and wealthy guy from Strasbourg built a palace here.  Argentina comes from the Latin word for Strasbourg.  Language is an odd thing.

The cats of Rome

An abundance of cats in Rome is  hardly a new phenomenon.  Indeed, the cat sanctuary’s web site quips that the ancestors of the cats at Torre Argentina probably met Julius Caesar.

Ancient Romans respected the ability of cats to catch pests, but also saw them as sacred animals.  Cats were associated with liberty and divinity and were the only animals allowed to walk freely around their temples.

The ancient Roman cats ruled.  Today, they still do.

Rome is a cat haven, with an estimated cat population of 300,000.  They’ve been recognized by law as a “biocultural heritage” of the city, and whenever five or more cats live together in a feral cat colony, they can’t be disturbed.

The cat ladies in Rome are a formidable group.

The ruins at Largo Argentina were discovered and excavated in 1929.  That’s also when Rome’s feral cats moved in.  Over the years, they were fed by cat ladies, known as ‘gattarre’ in Rome.

Two women, Lia and Silvia, started helping out in 1993.  As the cat population grew, they began raising funds and established a cat shelter in one corner of the site to care for them.

They’ve dealt with threats of eviction over the years, but their cat refuge continues to survive based on the support and donations of local citizens and visitors.

What they do at the feral cat shelter:

Newly abandoned cats are named and registered in the shelter’s log.  Every one of them is examined, sterilized and vaccinated.

In fact, the shelter runs a broader trap, neuter and release program.  One volunteer told me that in the past 25 years, they’ve sterilized 52,000 cats, performing an incredible public service for the city.

Currently, about 130 cats live on the site and are available for adoption.  About 20 cats live inside the small shelter because of disability or old age.

Tips for visiting the Roman cat sanctuary

Spotting the cats among the ruins has become one of the fun things to do in Rome, especially for families.

Visitors are not allowed to walk among the ruins, but you can still get a good view from the street level.

You can also visit the cats that live inside the sanctuary.  To find it,  take the stairs down to the site at the corner of Via Florida and Via di Torre Argentina.  It’s open from noon to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

Be sure to take a look at the  Torre Argentina cat shop, where the annual Cats of Rome calendar is a popular item.

You may also wish to make a donation to the sanctuary or to adopt a cat at a distance.  That program is aimed at raising funds to support the older or disabled cats who are not likely to find a forever home.  When you adopt a cat at a distance, you’ll get photos and status updates on your kitty.  Click here to see the cats that you can adopt from a distance.

Where to see other cat colonies in Rome

It’s believed that there are as many as 2000 cat colonies in Rome.  Visitors to the Colosseum will often see cats among the ruins there.  By the way, getting tickets to the Colosseum is not that straight forward, so check out this guide on how to buy tickets to the Colosseum.

There is another Roman cat sanctuary run by volunteers at the Non-Catholic Cemetery in the Testaccio neighbourhood. Here, the cats roam among the graves of famous poets like Keats and Shelley, in the shadow of the ancient Pyramid of Cestius.

And you’ll find one more at the Piazza Vittorio Emanuelle II near the Termini train station.  Note that this area is a little rundown and it’s best to visit the park during the day.

Wherever you go in city, you’re sure to get some cats with your history!

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