The tomb of Cecilia Metella was built at the 3rd mile of the Appian Way between 30-20 BC in a commanding position overlooking the road, right at the point where a leucitic lava flow dating back about 260,000 years, expelled from the Alban Hills volcanic complex, came to a stop.
It is a monumental tomb erected for a Roman noblewoman whose kinship degrees are known only thanks to the inscription still preserved. Her father was Quintus Caecilius Metellus, consul in 69 BC who between 68 and 65 conquered the island of Crete, from which he took the surname Creticus; her husband was probably Marcus Licinius Crassus, distinguished as a follower of Caesar in the Gallic campaign and son of the famous Crassus, member of the first triumvirate along with Caesar and Pompey.
Therefore, the imposing tomb should be interpreted both as a tribute to the deceased and as a form of celebration of the glories, wealth, and prestige of the commissioning family.
The monument consists of a square-based foundation made of conglomerate cement with flint flakes, originally faced with travertine blocks, of which today only some end blocks remain embedded in the core due to repeated Renaissance plundering; on this base rises an imposing cylinder, still covered by the original travertine slabs, on the top of which there is a marble frieze decorated with bucrania and garlands of flowers and fruit, interrupted by a high relief with a trophy of arms and the figure of a barbarian prisoner with hands tied behind his back. The cylinder was probably originally topped by a mound of earth covered with vegetation.
The interior of the tomb consists of a slightly conical burial chamber about 6.50 m in diameter, occupying the entire height of the cylinder, open at the top with an oculus and lined with high-quality brickwork.
The top of the mausoleum today is crowned by a masonry elevation made of peperino blocks that preserves a Ghibelline type battlement related to the architectural modifications carried out by the Caetani family to transform the tomb into the main tower of their castle, included within the larger Castrum Caetani.
9:00 – 17:00 from February 16 to March 15
9:00 – 17:30 from March 16 to the last Saturday of March
9:00 – 19:15 from the last Sunday of March to August 31
9:00 – 19:00 from September 1 to September 30
9:00 – 18:30 from October 1 to the last Saturday of October
9:00 – 16:30 from the last Sunday of October to December 31
