Largo di Torre Argentina (Argentina Tower Square) is in the ancient Campus Martius (Field of Mars) and dates to the times of the Roman Republic. It is about a 20-minute walk from the Colosseum and the Vatican. At the same time, it is also located near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. These sites can also be seen here.
The large open square takes its name from the Roman town Argentoratum (modern-day Strasbourg). This area contains four republican-aged temples, the Curia of Pompey (Curia Pompeia) and the Theater of Pompey.
After much excavation and research, historians and archeologists are still not entirely sure who the temples are dedicated to. They have been labeled A, B, C, and D.
Temple C appears to be the oldest, dated around the late fourth century or early third century BC and is likely dedicated to the goddess Feronia. Temple A dates to the middle of the third century BC and could have been dedicated to the goddess Juturna. Temple D was likely built around the beginning of the second century BC. According to a couple of theories, this temple was either dedicated to the Lares Permarini (a temple of the Lares who protect sailors) or the nymphs (minor female deities). Temple B appears to have been constructed around the late second century or early first century BC and looks to have been dedicated to the goddess Fortuna. This temple is the only circular temple on the site.
The Largo di Torre Argentina is most famously known for the Curia and Theater of Pompey. The Curia of Pompey is where Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15) 44 BC.
In his book Roman History, Book XLIV, XVI.I, Cassius Dio outlines where the assassination was to take place:
“It had been decided by them to make the attempt in the senate, for they thought that there Caesar would least expect to be harmed in any way and would thus fall an easier victim, while they would find a safe opportunity by having swords instead of documents brought into the chamber in boxes, and the rest, being unarmed, would not be able to offer any resistance.”
Plutarch goes into further detail in his book The Parallel Lives – The Life of Brutus, XIV.I:
“A meeting of the senate having been called, to which it was expected that Caesar would come, they determined to make their attempt there; for they could then gather together in numbers without exciting suspicion, and would have all the best and foremost men in one place, who, once the great deed was done, would straightway espouse the cause of liberty. It was thought, too, that the place of meeting was providentially in their favor, for it was one of the porticoes around the theatre, containing a session room in which stood a statue of Pompey. This statue the city had erected in his honor when he adorned that place with the porticoes and the theatre. Hither, then, the senate was summoned about the middle of March (the Romans call the day the Ides of March) so that some heavenly power seemed to be conducting Caesar to Pompey’s vengeance.”
Plutarch then gets more precise in the same book, XVII.I:
“When the senate had preceded Caesar into the session room, the rest of the conspirators stationed themselves about Caesar’s chair as if they intended to have some conference with him, and Cassius is said to have turned his face towards the statue of Pompey and to have invoked it as if it had understanding.”
The Curia is located just behind temples B and C, and remnants of the Curia and the likely spot of Ceasar’s assassination can still be seen today.
The area went through many changes over the centuries. It had been rebuilt under Emperor Domitian after a fire destroyed large parts of the Campus Martius in AD 80.
The area appears to have been abandoned sometime in the sixth century, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476. Its usage was sporadic over the centuries and largely remained in a dilapidated state. There was some activity in the eighth and ninth centuries when what appears to be houses were built on the site. There were also other medieval and Renaissance buildings constructed on top over time as the ancient foundations remained hidden.
The earliest church remnants dating back to the ninth century were found inside Temple A. The church was then dedicated to Saint Nicholas in 1132. Parts of this church are still visible today.
The Teatro Argentina opera house was built in the Largo di Torre Argentina area in the eighteenth century. It overlooks the rest of the ancient site and has been built over part of the Curia of Pompey. It is one of the oldest modern theaters in Rome, having been inaugurated in 1732.
As part of efforts to reconstruct the city in the early twentieth century, part of the Largo di Torre Argentina was slated for clearing. As work began on clearing the area, workers discovered the colossal head and arms of a marble statue. At this point, the demolition was paused so that archeological excavations could be undertaken.
The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary is located within Temple D. It was set up to deal with the large number of cats in Rome that wander the city. It is designated as a sanctuary by decree of the Italian Parliament. There has been conjecture about this arrangement by different groups, with some wanting to preserve the history there rather than housing stray cats.
In 2019, it was announced that restoration and construction efforts would be undertaken to allow visitors to the area to descend to the ancient city’s level and be up close and personal with the ancient foundations of the eternal city.
The works included several secure walkways that weave among the ruins of the ancient city. The works have also allowed for the part of Temple D covered by the above road to be accessible to the public again. This gives the public more of an appreciation of the size of the site’s largest temple. There is also an onsite museum that the public can visit that contains more artifacts recovered from the archeological digs.
The site opened to the public on June 20, 2023. This site looks stunning and is a must for any ancient history enthusiast.
Below is an incredible video shot by archeologist Darius Arya for Ancient Rome Live. This video shows the area in vivid detail. He has many other amazing videos on his YouTube channel, Darius Arya Digs, or the Ancient Rome Live channel.
Sources:
Cassius Dio – Roman History (Bill Thayer) – https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/44*.html
Plutarch – The Parallel Lives – The life of Brtuts (Bill Thayer) – https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Brutus*.html#14