The secret loggia of the Knights of Rhodes, a medieval balcony over the Forum of Augustus

Every day thousands of people walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali with their noses in the air, photographing columns and plinths. Almost no one lifts their gaze towards the crenellated little palazzo that rises above the Forum of Augustus, overlooking Piazza del Grillo. And yet right there, behind walls that look fortified, hides one of the most intimate and least visited viewpoints in all of ancient Rome.

Centuries of history

The House of the Knights of Rhodes was born from the layering of many centuries. On the Roman structures of the Forum of Augustus, around the 9th century, a church and a monastery of Basilian monks arose. In the 13th century the complex passed to the Hospitaller Knights of St John, the order that, through the events of Rhodes and later Malta, would give it the name by which we still know it today.

The belvedere over the Forums

The most fascinating chapter comes in the 15th century, when Cardinal Marco Barbo transformed the building into a refined residence. To him we owe the loggia of eight arches, a belvedere open onto the Forums from which the eye runs all the way to Trajan's Column. Along the walls survive traces of frescoes, today much damaged by time and weather, with medallions and landscapes. Inside you can also visit the Hall of Honour and the small chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist, patron of the order.

Special openings

The distinctive feature of this place is also its limitation: the House is not open every day. It is the seat of the Italian association of the knights of the Order of Malta and can be visited only during special openings, organised by cultural bodies and by organisations such as the FAI or Open House Roma. Precisely for this reason the crowds stay low and the experience keeps something of the privileged about it.

The tip

The advice is simple: instead of joining the throng in front of the Colosseum, look ahead of time for one of these openings. Choose one in spring or on the cooler days of autumn, when the light slants across the Forum and the loggia becomes, for a few hours, your private balcony over ancient Rome.

Related guides: Etruscan sites and necropolises to visit: an itinerary through Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria.

How to get there

It sits in the heart of the Imperial Forums, a short walk from Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum. The most convenient metro stop is Cavour, on Line B, from which you reach it on foot in a few minutes; alternatively, numerous bus lines stop along Via dei Fori Imperiali. For those travelling by train the point of reference is Roma Termini station, well connected to the rest of the city, while the airports are Fiumicino and Ciampino. It is best to arrive without a car, since the central area is a limited-traffic zone.