Lupercal Cave

Address: Palatine Hill, Rome, Lazio, Italy (site of the Lupercal)

Lupercal is the legendary cave on Rome’s Palatine Hill associated in Roman myth with the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. It is chiefly known from ancient literature and tradition rather than a single widely-accepted archaeological feature.

The Palatine Hill area contains interpretive remains and markers where tradition places the Lupercal grotto; visitors explore nearby Palatine ruins and museum displays that reference the founding myths of Rome. There is no large visitor facility devoted exclusively to the cave.

Referenced in Roman literary sources as the site of the twin founders’ infancy, the Lupercal entered Roman ritual life and myth. Archaeological investigations on the Palatine have identified grotto-like features that some scholars link to the tradition, but the identification is not universally settled.

Tradition places the Lupercal on the northwest slope of the Palatine Hill in central Rome, adjacent to the archaeological complex that overlooks the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus.

• Location uncertainty: The site’s legendary status means its exact archaeological location on the Palatine is debated; interpretive signage in the Palatine area points visitors to the traditional spot.

The Palatine Hill and Roman Forum are accessed from multiple entrances near the Colosseum and Via dei Fori Imperiali. The nearest metro station is Colosseo (Line B); ticketed entry to the archaeological park covers access to the Palatine and Forum areas. Guided archaeology tours sometimes include closer access to specific sites like the Lupercal.

• The traditional site of the Lupercal is inside the Lupercale cave beneath the Palatine Hill-access is limited and often part of guided archaeological tours.
• Combine a visit with the Palatine and Roman Forum to get fuller archaeological context.
• Check with the Soprintendenza Archeologia for tour availability-independent access is typically not possible.