Maintenance and conservation works are underway at Largo di Torre Argentina ahead of a €1 million development project sponsored by luxury jeweller Bvlgari.
The scheme will make the site accessible to the public for the first time. Currently, it can only be viewed from the street. The project will install raised paths to allow visitors to “walk through history.”
The scheme should take about a year to complete.
What is the Largo di Argentina?
The so-called sacred area of Largo di Argentina is best known as being the scene of Julius Caesar’s assassination. Uncovered between 1926 and 1930 during construction works, it was occupied by four temples and the theatre of Pompey.
It is not known to whom the temples were dedicated. As a result, they are simply named A, B, C and D.
The Area Sacra has become a cat sanctuary with hundreds of cats making it their home. Signs around the area indicate the cats are welcome and should not be mistreated. In fact, the city’s mayor when announcing the project said, “The feline shelter will not be touched, it will be protected and the cats, famous in Rome and around the world, will stay where they are, silent custodians of these treasures.”
The restoration
In April’s announcement Bvlgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin and Rome mayor Virginia Raggi said the completed project, expected to take about a year, would offer visitors a “journey through time.”
“It is one of the most evocative places in Rome, a treasure chest in the heart of the city” – the mayor wrote on Facebook – “Imagine, this archaeological complex houses four temples dating from between the third and second centuries BC.”
There will be a system of vertical and horizontal paths inside the archaeological area. The Torre del Papito will house a ticket office and exhibition space.
Visitors will also be able to view archaeological finds from the excavations and demolitions carried out during the Fascist period.
Bvlgari’s patronage of Rome
This is not the first project Bvlgari has sponsored in the city. In addition were the Spanish Steps and Caracalla Baths. More recently, the jeweller contributed to the new lighting system illuminating the Ara Pacis museum and its ancient altar.
Bvlgari has an affinity with Italy’s capital. They say on their website “Over the decades, the beauties of Rome have been translated into Bvlgari’s unmistakable jewellery codes.”
They continue: “A tribute to the city which has contributed so decisively to the success of the Company, Bvlgari’s cultural patronage contributes to restoring iconic monuments and archaeological areas that need to be brought back to light – or rediscovered in new light.”
Bvlgari opening 5-star hotel
However, the Piazza Augusto Imperatore is not only the site of the archaeological project. It is also the home of a new Bvlgari hotel.
The jeweller is converting a landmark building, designed by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo and built between 1936 and 1938, into a luxury hotel.
The hotel is due to open in 2022.
