The door in Rome with a hole in the middle is known as the Aventine Keyhole (or the Knights of Malta Keyhole), located on Aventine Hill at the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. Looking through this keyhole offers a perfectly framed, hidden view of St. Peter’s Basilica dome, aligned by manicured garden hedges.
- Location: Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, 3 or 4, Rome.
- Significance: It is a famous, free, and often hidden tourist spot where one can look from the Aventine property (Knights of Malta), across Italian territory, to see Vatican City in the distance.
- The View: The hole aligns perfectly with a pathway in the Priory gardens that leads directly to the distant dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.
- Best Time to Visit: To avoid lines, early morning is recommended, though it is open 24/7.
- Context: The green door is the entrance to the Villa del Priorato dei Cavalieri di Malta
The Aventine Keyhole is a keyhole at the Villa del Priorato di Malta, in Rome, which was granted extraterritorial status by Italy in 1869. When you peek through the keyhole, you actually have 3 countries in your line of sight: Malta, Italy and the Vatican City.
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