Pyramid of Cestius: Rome's pyramid and how to visit it

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Pyramid of Cestius (Piramide Cestia) is a white marble tomb 36 metres high, built in the late 1st century BC against the Aurelian Wall at Porta San Paolo. You can see it freely from the street, a step from Piramide metro station: it is one of Rome's most surprising monuments and the only tomb of this style preserved in the city. The interior, with its small painted burial chamber, opens only on occasional visits, free but by reservation. Allow 15 minutes for the outside, 45 minutes for a visit inside.

Highlights

An Egyptian tomb in the heart of Rome

The magistrate Gaius Cestius, who held a religious office, had this tomb built at a time when Egypt was fashionable in Rome, after Augustus conquered it. An inscription on the east face states that it was built in 330 days, following the deceased's will.

A pyramid in the wall

In the 3rd century the emperor Aurelian built the pyramid into the city's defences, where it serves as a bastion; this saved it from being dismantled for its stone. The Porta San Paolo (St Paul's Gate) next to it opened the road to Ostia; its two towers house a small museum of the Via Ostiense.

The marble cladding

The pyramid is Roman concrete faced with slabs of Carrara marble. Inside, the burial chamber, about 6 m long, keeps ancient frescoes that can be seen only during the openings.

Visits and access

The outside is free at any hour. The interior opens on scheduled visits: in October 2026, on Saturdays 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 4:30pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm, as a 45-minute self-guided visit, free but with compulsory online booking, announced on the website of the Soprintendenza speciale di Roma. Places go quickly.

Practical info

Tips

Book as soon as the month's calendar is published. The best overall view is from Piazzale Ostiense, on the Porta San Paolo side, or from the neighbouring Non-Catholic Cemetery. Dates and times were taken in October 2026: the calendar changes every month, so check it before you come.

How to get there

Piazzale Ostiense, 00153 Rome. Metro line B, Piramide station, with an exit straight onto the square. Tram 3 (Piramide stop) and several buses. The nearby Porta San Paolo station is the departure point for the train to Ostia Antica. Our guide to the Testaccio district covers the restaurants and curiosities around it, and the one on Ostiense and Garbatella continues along Via Ostiense. To see the poets' graves just behind it, read the page on the Non-Catholic Cemetery.