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Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MM assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological site
House of the Vestals
Archaeological site in Rome, Italy
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura”
At a glance
- Type
- Archaeological site
- Coordinates
- 41°53′29″ N, 12°29′12″ E
History and description
The House of the Vestal Virgins (Latin: Atrium Vestae; Italian: Casa delle Vestali) was the residence of Vestal Virgins, located behind the circular Temple of Vesta at the eastern edge of the Roman Forum, between the Regia and the Palatine Hill. The domus publica, where the Pontifex Maximus dwelled, was located near the Atrium until that role was assumed by the emperors.
Structure
The Atrium Vestae was a three-story 50-room palace in the ancient Roman Forum built around an elegant elongated atrium or court with a double pool. To the very east is an open vaulted hall with a statue of Numa Pompilius, the mythological founder of the cult.
The complex lay at the foot of the Palatine Hill, where a sacred grove that was slowly encroached upon lingered into Imperial times, when all was swept away by the Great Fire of Rome in 64. The House of the Vestals was rebuilt several times in the course of the Empire. After the dissolution of the College of the Vestals in the late 4th century AD, the House of the Vestals continued to serve as a residence building. It now housed officials of the imperial court, and subsequently the papal court. Archaeological finds from this period include a hoard of 397 gold coins from the 5th century and another 830 Anglo-Saxon coins dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. The site was abandoned in the 11th/12th century.
Today, remains of the statues of the Vestals can be seen in the Atrium Vestae.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «House of the Vestals».
Photos
Getting there
Roma TerminiTrain, nearest
1.7 km as the crow flies
House of the Vestals
Aeroporto di Roma-Ciampino13.5 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore archaeological sites in Lazio
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is House of the Vestals?
House of the Vestals is in Rome, in the province of Roma (Lazio), Italy. GPS coordinates: 41.89139, 12.48667.
What else is there to see near House of the Vestals?
Nearby you’ll find: Statio aquarum (0 m away), Temple of Vesta (100 m away), Arch of Fabius (100 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- RomaCasaVestaliDaPalatinoOvest — No machine-readable author provided. MM assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
- 20160425 052 Roma - Foro Romano - Casa delle Vestali - House of the Vestals (26454020530) — Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- 4642 - Roma - Fori - Casa delle Vestali - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 18-Mar-2008 — Giovanni Dall'Orto, Attribution
- 4643 - Roma - Fori - Casa delle Vestali - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 18-Mar-2008 — Giovanni Dall'Orto, Attribution
- 4644 - Roma - Fori - Casa delle Vestali - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 18-Mar-2008 — Giovanni Dall'Orto, Attribution
- 4645 - Roma - Fori - Casa delle Vestali - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 18-Mar-2008 — Giovanni Dall'Orto, Attribution
- Foro Romano - casa delle Vestali repubblicana mosaici e suspensurae 170054 — Lalupa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House of the Vestals 2 — Wknight94, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House of the Vestals from the Palatine Hill — Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences