1: 753 BC Remus, base Palatine

Via dei Cerchi, Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

2: 163 BC T. Gracchus, Roman Forum

Foro Romano, 00186 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

3: 44 BC Caesar, Theater of Pompey

Via dei Barbieri, 1, 00186 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

4: St. Peter, Nero's Stadium

Via Nicolò V, 00165 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

5: 268 St. Valentine

Via del Velabro, 00186 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

6: 1500 Giordano Bruno

Piazza Campo de' Fiori, 00186 Roma, RM (Lazio), Italy

7: 1564 Michelangelo's corpse heisted

Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, 00187 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

The church where Michelangelo's nephew, Leonardo, stole the body from to bring back to Florence. Michelangelo died just across the street heading South.

8: 1924 Giacomo Matteotti

Ponte Giacomo Matteotti, 00195 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

Along the Tiber near this bridge is where the abduction happened.

9: Aldo Moro's body recovered

Via Michelangelo Caetani, 00186 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

10: 1981 Pope John Paul II

Piazza San Pietro, 00193 Roma, Roma (Lazio), Italy

The red porphyry cobble precisely marks the place where John Paul II was shot and miraculously survived. The spot is near the NW corner of the colonnade.

Map and videos of famous assassinations and attempts, kidnappings and a heisted corpse.

For over 2700 years Rome has been the stage of countless important events. Walking through Rome, one could wonder about past residents that have walked its well trodden streets, the palaces, which once housed royalty, but are now ignored and the historic and oftentimes violent events that happened in the very spots on which an uninformed tourist might be standing, questioning, “why are there so many cats in Rome?” We’ve identified 10 infamous crime scenes where the offenses committed have had a lasting impact, most of the time, on Western culture. Click through for videos.

1. 753 BC, Remus: According to the legend of the founding of Rome, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus each had a dream about where a city should be founded. Romulus’ dream designated the Palatine Hill and Remus’ designated the Aventine Hill. On April 21, 753BC the brothers squared off with the result being Romulus killing his brother and founding his city on what later became the spot where the Emperors called home. Remus’s hill, the Aventine, became Rome’s slums because of its association with the losing brother. We designated the base of the Palatine Hill as the place where Remus was killed to give credit to the winning brother.
2. 163 BC, Tiberius Gracchus: This champion of the people met his death in the Roman Forum. Tiberius Gracchus died during a riot between groups fighting over the distribution of land to soldiers. That day, according to Plutarch, three hundred men were killed along with Tiberius - none with a metal instrument, which means that they were all clubbed to death. This is important because Tiberius Gracchus’ death is considered by many to be the end of the Roman Republic. To this day he is a symbol of the disenfranchised.
3. 44 BC, Julius Caesar: This was probably the most famous assignation that ever took place. Where there is now a tram stop, there was once the entrance to the Theater of Pompey, which was where the Roman Senate met on March 15, 44 BC. An interesting twist of irony is that there is nothing that commemorates where Julius Caesar was assassinated. Julius Caesar founded the Roman Empire. Notes on the accompanying video from HBO via Youtube. This is a pretty good representation of the event. Of course the end does not have the famous quote, “Et tu Brute” but Caesar seems communicate that with his eyes. Also, in terms of physical resemblance, the historical Caesar was blond and balding.
4. 64, St. Peter: The Vicar of Christ was living in Rome when the Great Fire of 064 destroyed a large part of the city. Nero, the Emperor at the time, accused the Christians of starting the fire; Peter being among the accused. The murders of theses early Christians took place near to where the Vatican City is today. Tradition holds that Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he did not want to die in the same manner as Jesus. Today in the middle of St. Peter’s Square there is an Egyptian obelisk that is fabled to have been present in the circus when St. Peter was killed. The obelisk has been moved a few hundred meters to the N/E to where it currently stands. This event and the subsequent burial is the whole reason for the existence of St. Peter’s Basilica.
5. 268, St. Valentine: This Roman priest, for whom the Valentine’s Day is named, was supposedly clubbed to death after continuing to perform marriage ceremonies contrary to the Emperor’s mandate. Today his skull can be seen in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.
6. 1500, Giordano Bruno: Considered by some to be the first martyr for science, his notions about infinity and multiple universes were not appreciated by the dogmatic Catholic Church, and he was burned at the stake.
7. 1564, Michelangelo Buonarroti: The Renaissance sculptor, painter and architect died a natural death. A bit of intrigue revolves around his body which was stolen by his nephew, smuggled out of Rome and brought back and buried in his native Florence. Michelangelo would have wanted it that way.
8. 1929, Giacomo Matteotti: The leader of the opposing political party to Mussolini’s ruling Fascist Party, Matteotti called the elections that put the Fascists in power a sham. Rather than answering with oratory and public criticism, a gang of Fascists led by Mussolini’s press secretary kidnapped Matteotti, killed him and dumped his body outside of Rome. Mussolini benefited greatly from this action of his cronies. Hitler later used this same play when he burned the Reichstag nine years later as a pretext for seizing total power.
9. 1978, Aldo Moro: Moro was an ex-Italian Prime Minister who was kidnapped and eventually killed by the left wing terrorist group Brigate Rosse, (the Red Berets). As with the assassination of any powerful political figure, this killing deeply affected the Italians.
10. 1981, Pope John Paul II: The 271st Pope passed away on April 5, 2005 in his apartment in the Vatican City. John Paul II was also shot and nearly killed on May 13, 1981 in St. Peter’s Square. Why is this event so important? One bullet passed through the Pontiff nearly killing the Pope. If the bullet would have been even millimeters in any other direction it would have surely killed him. The event defined Pope John Paul II’s ministry and commitment to the Virgin Mary; moreover, it is considered a miracle that he was not killed and is one of the three needed for him to be Canonized (i.e. made into a Saint).