Protestant Cemetery, Rome, Historic burial ground near Pyramid of Cestius in Testaccio, Rome, Italy
The Protestant Cemetery sits on sloping terrain beside the Pyramid of Cestius, enclosed by sections of the ancient Aurelian wall. Mediterranean cypress and pomegranate trees grow among the graves, which spread across two levels separated by pathways and low hedges.
The first burial took place here in 1716 after the Holy Office permitted non-Catholic interments within the city walls. The cemetery expanded through the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a resting place for diplomats, artists, and scholars from across Europe.
The gravestones carry inscriptions in more than fifteen languages, with names from across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, marking resting places for Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians. This diversity reflects the cemetery's long role as the only burial option in Rome for anyone outside the Catholic faith.
The entrance stands at Via Caio Cestio 6, next to Piramide metro station and reachable by several bus routes. Visitors should remember this is an active burial ground, so quiet and respectful behavior is expected.
The poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley rest here, both having died in Italy in the early 19th century, alongside Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. Scientists, diplomats, and artists from many nations also lie buried among the cypress trees.
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