🏛️LandmarkOpen now · Closes 12:00 AMFree

Knights of Malta Keyhole

Name: Knights of Malta Keyhole
Rating: 4.3

4.3 ·

Discover Rome's quirkiest secret on a quiet Aventine street. Peer through a plain garden door's keyhole to spot St. Peter's dome perfectly framed by a tree-lined avenue, miles away.

✨

Reasons to go

Looking through the keyhole reveals a landscaped optical illusion where a tree-lined avenue frames St. Peter's dome in the distance.
The gate sits on the grounds of the Knights of Malta priory atop the Aventine Hill, one of Rome's least touristy hills.
The view spans three sovereign territories in a single sightline: the Priory grounds, Italy, and Vatican City.

📖

Full description

Peering through the keyhole of this gate on the grounds of the Knights of Malta priory reveals an optical trick landscaped deliberately: a tree-lined avenue perfectly aligned so that St. Peter's dome appears framed in the distance, seemingly much closer than it actually is.

It's a tiny, easily missed detail on a quiet residential street atop the Aventine, one of Rome's least touristy hills, which makes the payoff feel more like a discovery than a monument visit. There's often a short line of people waiting their turn to look through, but the stop itself takes only a minute or two.

Combine it with the nearby Orange Garden for one of the best quiet corners in central Rome.

📍

Address

Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, 3, 00153 Roma RM, Italy · Ripa

Website

🕐

Hours

🎫

Booking

Walk-in

Duration

15 min

Intensity

Easy pace

💡

Good to know

Expect a short queue to take your turn at the keyhole, especially midday
combine with the adjacent Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden) for another skyline view a few steps away
go in early morning or evening, both for shorter lines and softer light for photos.

💬

Reviews

The Knights of Malta keyhole is truly a unique and memorable place to visit in Rome. Seeing St. Peter’s Basilica perfectly framed through the keyhole is a special experience you won’t find anywhere else. I highly recommend coming very early in the morning or around sunset, as the queue can get quite long during the…

Dr Eve

1/5

📍 Nearby spots