A quiet green hill with a keyhole, a garden and the best view of the dome.
The Aventine is the quietest of Rome's hills. It is mostly villas, convents and walled gardens, and it is the place Romans go when they want a view without a crowd.
It rewards a slow walk uphill from the Circus Maximus, past the rose garden and the orange garden, to a keyhole in a door that frames St Peter's dome perfectly.
What to see
The keyhole
A small keyhole in the door of the Knights of Malta's priory on Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta frames the dome of St Peter's at the end of a tree-lined path. It is free and open at any hour, but you may queue.
Giardino degli Aranci
A small public garden of orange trees on the edge of the hill, with a terrace that looks across the Tiber to the domes of the centre. Free, and open until sunset.
Santa Sabina
An early Christian basilica, plain and calm, with a pair of carved wooden doors from the fifth century. A quiet place to sit.
Where to eat
We name a place only when we have checked that it is still trading, and show the date. Where we have not, we tell you what to look for.
Walk down to Testaccio
What to look for
The Aventine is residential and has few places to eat. Walk ten minutes down the hill to Testaccio for lunch.
