Rome's only PYRAMID dating back 2,000 years opens to the public following ambitious clean-up project

  • Pyramid was built for Caius Cestius, a Roman magistrate, as a burial tomb
  • Four were thought to have existed in Rome but this is the only one left
  • Structure needs to be cleaned regularly to keep the marble exterior white

Rome's only surviving pyramid is open to the public after an ambitious clean-up project.

The ancient structure was built around 2,000 years ago as the burial tomb for a Roman praetor, or magistrate, named Caius Cestius.

It had been neglected over time but thanks to the generous donations of a Japanese clothing magnate, the monument has been restored to its former glory.

A woman walks past the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome, the only surviving pyramid in the city from ancient times


Their construction reflected a fashion for Egyptian style in Rome after the conquest of Egypt, but the simple, frescoed figures on the chamber's walls were done in the style of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city near modern-day Naples. 

Situated near a busy intersection and a subway station, it should be a popular attraction. 

But the 119-feet high pyramid has welcomed few tourists in the past few years.

Decades of pollution has darkened its creamy Carrara marble exterior and with the city building up around it, few realised the value of the pyramid.

The pyramid has recently had an extensive clean-up thanks to a donation of 2 million Euros from Yuzo Yagi, who heads a clothing and textile company in Japan, and will now be open to the public.

After a Japanese clothing magnate paid for a cleanup, archaeologists are eager to show off the monument

Archaeologist Leonardo Guarnieri told reporters on Wednesday that tours, including of the frescoed burial chamber, are being given twice a month by reservation.




What happened to Caius Cestius' remains is unknown.

A team of free-climbers have been hired to clean the pyramid every few months so that there's no need for scaffolding.  

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