Journalists visit the new walkways of the so called "Sacred Area" where four temples, dating back as far as the 3rd century BC, stand smack in the middle of one of modern Rome's busiest crossroads, June 19, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)
ROME – History buffs will be able to stroll close to the spot where legend says Julius Caesar met his bloody end, when Rome authorities open a new walkway on the ancient site on Tuesday.
Accounts, embellished by William Shakespeare, tell how the Roman dictator was stabbed to death by a group of aggrieved senators on the Ides of March – March 15 – in 44 BC.
ALSO READ:Tibetan thangka paintings on show at two museums
According to tradition, he died in the capital's central Largo Argentina square – home to the remains of four temples.
Rome's Mayor Roberto Gualtieri (right） visits the archaeological findings of the so called "Sacred Area" where four temples, dating back as far as the 3rd century BC, stand smack in the middle of one of modern Rome's busiest crossroads, June 19, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)
They are all currently below street level and up until recently could only be viewed from behind barriers close to a busy road junction.
From Tuesday, visitors will be able to move through the site at ground level on the walkway and see the structures up close.
ALSO READ: Mozart's love-life drama revealed in letter up for auction
Italian fashion house Bulgari funded the work at a site that was first discovered and excavated during building work in Rome in the 1920s.
The area – close to where Caesar is supposed to have exclaimed "Et tu, Brute?" as he saw his friend Brutus among his murderers – is these days also home to a sanctuary for stray cats.
Non-residents will pay 5 euros ($5.50) to visit it.
