Pyramid of Cestius

The Pyramid of Cestius at the Porta San Paolo is the tomb of the Roman praetor Gaius Cestius Epulo and the only surviving example of the egyptomania of Augustan Rome. Built between 18 and 12 BCE from brick-faced concrete clad in marble, it is 36 metres high on a square base of around 30 metres - steeper than real Egyptian pyramids, reflecting the Roman idea of Nubian prototypes. In the 3rd century it was incorporated into the Aurelian Walls under emperor Aurelian and so escaped demolition. The inner burial chamber is painted with Third Style Pompeian frescoes; it can be visited a few days a month with advance booking. The Protestant Cemetery, with the graves of John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, lies immediately next door.