A view of St Peter’s Dome from the keyhole in Rome
Rome is not just one of the most famous cities all over the world, thanks to the major architectonics works that to Roman Empire, but it is also a combination of stories, legends and little secrets.
Today I want to tell the romantic story of the Keyhole. On the Aventine Hill, one of the seven Roman Hills, there is a place that has a large and rich history. According the legend, the hill should be an huge ship belonging to the religious order of Knights of Malta – the legendary Crusaders – that sooner or later will set sail to the Holy Land.
Nowadays, the hill hosts some medieval churches, some more popular than others, but especially the Keyhole doorway of the Villa del Priorato. From it, right in the center, it’s possible to see a view of St. Peter’s Dome, marvellously framed by the trees inside the garden just beyond the door. A romantic and poetics view that you can not miss.
The Keyhole, is located above one of roman belvederes. From it you can admire the panorama of the entire Eternal City, especially at sunset, when the city suddenly changes aspect to become more suggestive and to give you thrilling emotions. No wonder if the Aventine Hill beauty inspired poets like D’Annunzio e Carducci, who dedicated to it some memorable verses.
The magic of this place is not confined to this particular, in fact from a simply keyhole you can cross three countries. The travel starts from the villa belonging to the order of the Knights of Malta, goes through Rome, to finally get to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, belonging to the Vatican State.
Keyhole is only one of the legends of Rome.
Come visit us to discover others hidden secrets.
