Cat Sanctuary

Centro Storico


This volunteer-run outfit looks after about 300 cats, who have the run of the ancient ruins in the Area Sacra of Largo di Torre Argentina.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Centro Storico attractions

1. Area Sacra

0.03 MILES

This sunken area in the Largo di Torre Argentina, reckoned to be the site of Julius Caesar's murder, contains the remains of four Republican-era temples,…

2. Largo di Torre Argentina

0.06 MILES

A busy transport hub, Largo di Torre Argentina is set around the sunken Area Sacra, and the remains of four Republican-era temples, all built between the…

3. Museo Nazionale Romano: Crypta Balbi

0.1 MILES

The least known of the Museo Nazionale Romano's four museums, the Crypta Balbi sits over the ruins of several medieval buildings, themselves set atop the…

4. Fontana delle Tartarughe

0.1 MILES

This playful, much-loved fountain features four boys gently hoisting tortoises up into a bowl of water. Created by Giacomo della Porta and Taddeo Landini…

5. Lorcan O'Neill Gallery

0.13 MILES

The brainchild of Irish gallerist Lorcan O'Neill, this contemporary art gallery calls the former 17th-century stables of Palazzo Santacroce home. It…

6. Palazzo Cenci

0.14 MILES

A real-life house of horrors, Palazzo Cenci was the scene of one of the 16th century’s most infamous crimes, the murder of Francesco Cenci by his long…

7. Chiesa di Sant’Andrea della Valle

0.15 MILES

A must for opera fans, this towering 17th-century church is where Giacomo Puccini set the first act of Tosca. Its most obvious feature is Carlo Maderno’s…

8. Chiesa del Gesù

0.16 MILES

An imposing example of Counter-Reformation architecture, Rome's most important Jesuit church is a fabulous treasure trove of baroque art. Headline works…