Four temples from ancient Rome, dating back as far as the 3rd century BC stand smack in the middle of one of the modern city's busiest crossroads.

But until Monday, practically the only ones getting a close-up view of the temples were the cats that prowl the so-called "Sacred Area," on the edge of the site where Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Now, with the help of funding from Bulgari, the luxury jeweler, the group of temples can be visited by the public.

For decades, the curious had to gaze down from the bustling sidewalks rimming Largo Argentina (Argentina Square) to admire the temples below. That's because, over the centuries, the city had been built up, layer by layer, to levels several meters above the area where Caesar masterminded his political strategies and was later fatally stabbed in 44 BC.