Overview

Cecilia, daughter of Metelllus, valiant conqueror of Crete and wife of Crassus, Caesar's general in Gaul, was buried on the Appia Antica. A tombstone has been placed here in memory of this noblewoman who died at a young age. The tomb was built circa 50 BCE and was a large cylindrical body resting on a square base built entirely from travertine stone. Passing under an archway one entered the tomb itself. The original battlements were covered by a fortress built in 1300 by the Caetani, which encased the sepulchre inside a castle (the remains of which can still be seen) The tomb became the castle's keep which comprises the church of San Nicola (a rare example of Roman Gothic style).