Rome's Best Travel Routes

They stretch on marble columns, nap in ancient theatres, and blink from behind broken arches. Rome’s cats are not strays—they’re citizens. After World War II, locals began feeding the animals that made their homes among the ruins. Over time, these “gatti di Roma” became guardians of the city’s archaeological sites. Today, they’re protected by law and cared for by volunteer colonies.

The Cat Sanctuary of Largo di Torre Argentina is the most famous of these spaces. Among the ruins where Julius Caesar was assassinated, a quiet revolution purrs. Hundreds of stray cats live among fallen columns, cared for by volunteers in a small underground shelter. Romans call them “the city’s softest citizens.” History may belong to emperors, but peace belongs to cats.

📝 Local Note: If a cat brushes against your leg at the Forum, don’t shoo it away. It’s older than your itinerary.