The Pyramid of Cestius, an ancient Roman mausoleum in Rome, built in 18-12 BC

The Pyramid of Cestius is an ancient Roman mausoleum in Rome, built in 18-12 BC. The tomb received the ashes of Gaius Cestius, an influential Roman magistrate and priest.

The pyramid is a concrete structure 36 metres high, faced with marble.

The Pyramid of Cestius has survived to our own day because in the 3rd century it was built into the Aurelian Wall, the city's defensive rampart, as a supporting tower. In the Middle Ages, however, a legend arose that the pyramid held the ashes of Remus, one of the founders of Rome.

Where, then, did Romulus lie? Near the Vatican there stood another pyramid, 32 metres high, which the common people dubbed the Pyramid of Romulus. In fact it was supposed to hold the remains either of the consul Scipio Africanus or of Cornelius Gallus. This pyramid never became part of the defences, and so in the 16th century it was pulled down for its marble, to be used for Saint Peter's Basilica.