Tomb of Caecilia Metella: the mausoleum and castle on the Appian Way
The Tomb of Caecilia Metella is the most recognisable monument on the Via Appia Antica: a great travertine cylinder from the 1st century BC, crowned with medieval battlements. According to its inscription it is dedicated to Caecilia Metella, daughter of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus and daughter-in-law of Crassus. In the early 14th century the Caetani family turned it into the tower of their stronghold, the Castrum Caetani. The site, run by the Appia Antica Archaeological Park, is about 3 kilometres from Porta San Sebastiano. It is part of the Via Appia Antica.
Highlights
The mausoleum
The travertine drum, about 29 metres across, stands on a square base. The marble frieze carved with ox heads (bucrania) gave the place its popular name, "Capo di Bove". The Latin plaque dedicated to Caecilia Metella can still be read.
The Castrum Caetani
The Ghibelline battlements crowning the tomb date from the Middle Ages, when the Caetani fortified the road and collected a toll. The ruins of the fortified village and its palace line the road.
The church of San Nicola
This small 14th-century Gothic church, whose walls still stand, is visited with the complex.
The Appian Way museum
Statues, sarcophagi, inscriptions and fragments from the tombs of the road are displayed in the rooms of the palace.
The road beyond
Past the tomb, the road continues in ancient paving lined with pines, towards the Circus of Maxentius and the Villa of the Quintilii.
Practical info
Tips
- Prices seen in October 2026: €8 full-price ticket for the Tomb of Caecilia Metella, €2 for EU citizens aged 18-24, €4 with the Roma Pass 48h or 72h, free for under-18s. The €12 Archaeological Park ticket, valid for seven days, also opens the Villa of the Quintilii and the other paid sites. The neighbouring Capo di Bove complex has been closed for restoration since 22 June 2026. Allow about an hour on site. Tickets are sold on site or online on the park's website. The tomb is on the cycling route: see our guide to the Appian Way by e-bike. See also: catacombs of Rome.
How to get there
Via Appia Antica 161, 00178 Rome. Bus 118 from the Celio/Colosseum, S. Sebastiano stop, or bus 660, Appia Pignatelli stop. The Park information point, Via Appia Antica 58/60, is further north on the same road.
Opening hours
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