Glad I was able to come here and see this and experience it for myself When I got here there was only a few people ahead of me. I beat the long lines. Unfortunately my iPhone camera did not do this justice!!! The Aventine Keyhole is a famous, small peephole in a large green door on Rome's Aventine Hill, offering a perfectly framed, magical view of St. Peter's Basilica's dome through a tunnel of trees, technically looking across three countries: the Knights of Malta's grounds, Italy, and Vatican City. read more

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Arrive at dawn or be prepared for a long wait for your moment to gaze through the keyhole and see the perfectly framed dome through a tunnel of greenery. We waited for an hour, chatted, and the time flew by. Another word of advice, there is no need take a picture or video through the keyhole. We watched numerous people kindly offer their electronics a longer turn than their actual eyes! If you scroll through Yelp, or any corner of the internet talking about the Aventine Keyhole, you will see thousands of photos and videos. So, when it's your turn, gaze through, smile at the majesty of what people before you have created, enjoy a lived experience, and take a photo with your loved ones, not keyholes. read more

The Aventine Keyhole - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Rome, RM

The most famous keyhole in all of Rome. My Vespa tour guide driver took me here. Best place to come as early in the morning or around dusk to avoid the long lines. This is a free attraction to see. Why is it interesting because apparently looking through the whole is seeing three countries at once: Italy, Malta, and the Vatican. Not the most necessary thing to see since it's out-of-the-way from Main areas and walking distance. But definitely worth it to see. read more

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Beautiful view and ambience. Go in the afternoon or early morning as lines are shorter read more

Visited The Aventine Keyhole (TAV) on Saturday 10/01/2023 (around 12:10pm) while in Rome, Italy for the 1st time, and being the kind human being that I am ;), here are a few helpful tidbits for anyone else, who is considering of adding a visit to TAV to their itinerary. For those who don't know, The Aventine Keyhole is also known as the "most famous keyhole" in Rome and is located on top of the Aventine Hill, which is one of the 7 ancient hills of Rome. Helpful Tidbits: - - - what is it? literally is a tiny keyhole located on a door that you look through, that then gives a perfectly framed view of the St. Peter's Basilica located in the Vatican City (see pic attached in this review of our poor attempt of trying to capture a photo of the beauty that you see through that tiny keyhole) - - - how long? cost? the experience of looking through the keyhole itself, only lasts a few minutes and depending on when you visit, you'll most likely will be spending more time waiting in line until it's your turn to look through the keyhole. This is a "free-99" thing to do so very budget-friendly! - - - amenities: (things that make you comfortable & at ease) : * no restrooms/toilets onsite to use so make sure you "go" before you get to TAV. * there are no shade trees to protect you from the sun while waiting in line & no seating once in line because you'll be standing in an actual parking lot area (see videos/pics included in this review of the line we waited in during our visit & to show what the surrounding area looks like) so just be prepared w/ your sun hat, sunscreen, water, ect. * on the day we visited, there was a food truck onsite that sold drinks and food (not sure if they are always onsite) so we were able to buy some cold water and a few other snacks items to keep us busy while we were waiting. No cards were accepted as payment (see pic included in review of the food truck). - - - kind human PSA: if there is a long line of people during your visit, please don't be one of those self-absorbed & rude people who takes their sweet time at the keyhole w/out any regard for those behind you, who are patiently waiting their turn. Thankfully, during our visit, it wasn't very crowded so we didn't have to experience this but I can definitely imagine how crowded & busy it can get w/ this being the "most famous keyhole" in Rome. :) - - - nearby sights of interest w/in walking distance of TAK: I wouldn't recommend a visit to The Aventine Keyhole solely by itself since looking through the keyhole only takes a few minutes to do but I do recommend that you also visit the other nearby sights that include ... 1. Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino (church dating to 422 A.D.) Definitely a must visit! So much history! And one of my favorite basilicas that we visited. 2. Giardino degli Aranci (Orange tree garden w/ scenic view of St. Peter's Basilica) free to visit, water fountain located in garden, and bench seating to relax on while you enjoy the scenery After my hubby and I were finished w/ our keyhole experience, we than just explored at our leisure, the nearby area on foot, while taking in all the beautiful and scenic views. Getting to see so much rich history up close that Rome is famously known for, really was a privilege and I'm so very grateful that we were able to have this experience. To sum it up, I would definitely recommend adding a visit to The Aventine Keyhole, if you're looking for something "different" to do while "roaming around in Rome"! Till next time, Rebecca from Austin, Texas read more

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This place is absolutely amazing. I came on a weekday and it wasn't busy at all. Only one other person was there to look. You get to look through a small keyhole in a large door, and the sight you see will change your life. It is a beautiful view of the Vatican, tunneled by sculpted bushes. I think I felt my heart beat differently when I looked through the hole. And it is free to visit! Definitely go during the day, otherwise I'm not sure if you'd see much. read more

Knights of Malta keyhole. I was here in April 2022, and I didn't know what to expect. I was walking around a park because that's where Google Maps told us to go. Then after walking a while, I saw a really long line, and then I realized that the line was for the keyhole! It literally went around the square. I couldn't believe I had to wait in line for a "secret" view. It's so funny there was a food truck set up for the tourists. It's a huge green door that has a hole in it. Through the hole, you can see some arched greenery. Through the arch, you can see the basilica. Bring a good camera. read more

We came here right after dusk and there was a small line. The legnth was about what I expected it to be. We waited for about 10 minutes as each person was respectful and only too a few seconds for their turn. I liked the view at night and purposely came here at that time of day since I thought the view would be better than daytime. Once to the front, we lifted our kids up first to look and they were mesmerized. We had prepped them for what they were looking at and had been to the Basilica previous to coming here. I tried to take a picture with my phone, but as others noted, it did not turn out. Seeing it with your naked eye cannot be replicated. read more

This is the coolest. We went on a cold January moonlit night- and were not disappointed. How wonderful to look through the keyhole and see the image of St Peters floating before me! This is really magical. I think it would be fine during the day- but at night it is really really special. My picture with my phone came out a lot better than I thought it would! read more

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What apparently used to be a well-kept secret is not one any longer as there was a bit of a line to look through the keyhole when we visited. It was getting towards dusk, but there was a food stand set up there, which kind of sums up Rome-very commercialized. I recommend walking here and not taking a cab-that's lame. You pass by several beautiful gardens on the way and do yourself a disservice if you do not walk. There's a gate and if you look through the key hole you can see a beautiful garden with trees which frame St Peter's Cathedral right in the center. It is truly an amazing sight. When you are looking through the key hole, you are actually looking at 3 separate city-states. We were told of this spot by the owner of Pane & Vino, a sandwich shop near the Colosseum. Definitely visit here when in Rome! read more

The Aventine Keyhole - Can't see it in pic but if you are there you can see 3 city states at once through the keyhole. Can perfectly see St. Peter's dome - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Rome, RM

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I guess at one point it used to be more of a hidden gem but now many people know about it. Wait in a short line to get a glimpse of a perfectly lined up garden and Vatican dome through the keyhole. If you can get your camera to focus just right, you'll end up with a pretty awesome picture through the keyhole. The line we waited in was only about ten minutes long and the photo I got (after a few tries) was well worth it. read more

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This is the elusive look through the keyhole to the secret garden that is often talked about in bars in Rome in tones which are something akin to finding the Holy Grail. Many think it's a wind up but I've been there and seen it for myself so I can vouch for it's existence. It sounds crazy but in the piazza there's a gate and if you look through the key hole you can see a beautiful garden with trees which frame St Peter's Cathedral right in the centre. It's quite magical. I have uploaded photographs but it has to be seen to be believed. Locals bring their visitors here to admire the impressive optical effect created by Piranesi. It doesn't sound that wonderful; some trees and St. Peter's, but few leave uncharmed. Located in the artistic and enigmatic Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, a gate bars the entrance to the Priory of the Knights of Malta. Queue up to have a look through the ornate keyhole, and you'll see the Vatican's vast white cathedral floating at the end of a symmetrical tunnel of trimmed trees. The piazza is placed on the Aventine Hill (Aventino), which is a nice tranquil place to stroll on a sunny day. To reach the keyhole, you follow Via di Santa Sabina from the Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) past a rose garden, two attractive churches and a couple of delightful panoramic parks. One, a walled garden filled with orange trees, hosts outdoors theatre in the summer months. read more

The Aventine Keyhole - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Rome, RM

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Amazing area with a surprising view of the city. My wife and I were on a bike tour that went through this area and we can still remember the great sites read more