The House of the Knights of Rhodes: A Secret Loggia Overlooking the Fora

Everyone in Rome knows the Imperial Fora. Few know that right above the Forum of Augustus, in Piazza del Grillo, hides a building that almost no one steps into: the House of the Knights of Rhodes. A name that evokes crusades and orders of chivalry, and yet the streams of tourists pass beneath its windows without looking up, heading elsewhere.

The building is the result of centuries of layering. Born on the remains of the Forum of Augustus, it first housed an early medieval monastery and then passed to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, who made it the seat of their Roman priory. The walls incorporate ancient columns and blocks, and to walk here is to cross the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and imperial Rome in just a few metres.

The secret heart is the loggia. Commissioned during the Renaissance restorations promoted by Cardinal Marco Barbo, it opens with its arches towards the Fora. The walls preserve frescoes with medallions of emperors and glimpses of landscape. From here the view is not the crowded one you get from the street: it is a high, intimate, almost private perspective over the sunlit ruins.

The weak point, for lovers of undertourism, is also its strength: the House is not always open. Access is mostly by guided tours or special openings, in small groups. It is best to check the dates in advance with the Sovrintendenza Capitolina or authorised operators, and to book. It is not a place for a quick stop, but a visit to be earned.

It is worth trying. While the queues stretch out in front of the Colosseum, here you enter in small numbers, climb up to the loggia and look at Rome from a balcony that history has kept hidden. It is a gentle way of visiting the city: respecting its rhythms, choosing silence over the crowd, and taking home a view that others have not seen.

Getting there

The House of the Knights of Rhodes overlooks the Forum of Augustus, in the area of the Imperial Fora. The most convenient metro station is Colosseo (line B), from which you reach it in a handful of minutes on foot along Via dei Fori Imperiali. The area is pedestrian and restricted-traffic, so by car it is best to stop at the edges of the centre. Roma Termini is close and well connected; the nearest airport is Rome Fiumicino, with Ciampino as an alternative. Access is possible only during guided openings.

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