Pyramid of Caius Cestius - Rome

The pyramid of Caius Cestius is the only surviving example of a series of Egyptian-style monuments built in Rome during the I century B.C. The Pyramid of Cestius survived to this day because it was incorporated into the Aurelian Walls, which were built between 272 and 279 A. D. The construction of the pyramid, which contains a funeral chamber that was fully decorated with frescoes, dates back to 18-12 B. C. The frescoes in the funerary chamber where restored in 2000 (See section "Wall paintings"). Since 2000, the internal microclimatic conditions and the state of preservation of the frescoes have been monitored continually, and maintenance has been carried out whenever considered necessary.
(Photograph M. Coen)