Knights of Malta Keyhole
Always Open
Free
1h
Best at dusk when St. Peter's dome is illuminated. Combine with Orange Garden.
Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, 3, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
A bronze keyhole in the wooden gate of the Priory of the Knights of Malta on the Aventine — a small, easily-missed door that frames one of the most theatrical sights in Rome. Look through it and you see St. Peter's dome perfectly aligned at the end of an avenue of cypresses, framed across three sovereign territories: Italy (you), the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (the priory), and Vatican City (the dome). The gate and gardens were designed by Piranesi in 1765.