Take a Running Tour to See Cats of Rome with This Italian Company

Yes, you read that right. You can not only travel to Rome and explore its many iconic landmarks, but you can also take a running tour to see all the cats of Rome in all their different shapes and sizes … literally. ArcheoRunning, Rome’s wellness tourism company, just launched a brand-new tour: Cats of Rome, letting you explore everything from Egyptian sphinxes to the present-day “gatti di Roma” (cats of Rome) colonies.

© ArcheoRunning

Cats and Rome have been deeply intertwined through a long mix of religion, history and urban culture. This tour follows the pawprints across a 3.5-mile course in the city, delving into how the Roman world was shaped by Egyptian culture, most notably through the symbol and reverence of the cat.

Cats have long been worshipped as guardians of home, life and the unseen, regarded as sacred beings protected by the goddess Bastet. The cat’s quiet legacy survives in present-day Rome. The tour begins near the Pantheon in the heart of Campo Marzio, once home to the center of Egyptian worship in Rome — the Temple of Isis and Serapis.

© ArcheoRunning

The tour then continues through the narrow streets at dawn to Largo di Torre Argentina, where Rome’ largest living feline colony wanders the remains of temples on the site linked to Julius Caesar’s assassination. Runners can meet cats stretching in the sun and sleeping on relic columns.

After, the run moves upward toward Capitoline Hill. At the base of the Cordonata are two Egyptian sphinxes guarding the ascent. The Pyramid of Cestius marks the finish line. Nearby, more cats rest among the trees and quiet paths.