Itinerary from Basilica of Santa Sabina all'Aventino to Pyramid of Cestius

From the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill, a 15-minute walk takes you to the Pyramid of Cestius (or Pyramid of Gaius Cestius). This unique Egyptian-style funerary monument was built in Rome between 18 and 12 BC as the tomb of Gaius Cestius Epulone, a magistrate and member of the college of the Septemviri Epulones.
The structure, which rests on a concrete platform, is made of concrete with a brick facade and an external cladding of fine Carrara marble slabs. With a square base measuring approximately 30 meters per side, the pyramid soars 36.40 meters into the sky.
A fascinating detail concerns the construction time: it was completed in just 330 days. Gaius Cestius, in fact, had stipulated in his will that his heirs must complete the monument within that timeframe, or risk losing their considerable inheritance. As the inscription carved on the eastern side recalls (opus absolutum ex testamento diebus CCCXXX), the heirs rushed to complete the work a few days ahead of schedule.
The interior is almost entirely filled: the single burial chamber measures 5.95 x 4.10 meters, with a height of 4.80 meters. Its volume constitutes just 1% of the monument's total mass. On the exterior, on the eastern and western sides, the name and titles of the deceased are engraved, while the east front details the circumstances surrounding the tomb's construction.