What You'll See If You Look Through This Famous Roman Peephole

According to Atlas Obscura, the gate and its keyhole lead into the Priory of the Knights of Malta. The Knights of Malta, a lay religious order, were part of the Crusades. The palace inside used to belong to Alberico II, who ruled Rome from 932 to 954. It passed hands to Benedictine monks who used

According to Atlas Obscura, the gate and its keyhole lead into the Priory of the Knights of Malta. The Knights of Malta, a lay religious order, were part of the Crusades. The palace inside used to belong to Alberico II, who ruled Rome from 932 to 954. It passed hands to Benedictine monks who used it as a monastery and then was a headquarters for the Knights Templar before falling into the hands of the Knights of Malta (who were then called Knights Hospitaller).

Culture Trip explained the area was designed to mimic a sacred ship sailing to heaven, so the doors to the palace resemble the entrance to a ship deck. It's unclear, though, if the keyhole was designed to line up perfectly with St. Peter's Basilica, so part of the mystery visiting the keyhole is thinking, "did they do this on purpose?"

If you want to go and take amazing photos of the basilica, Authentic Traveling suggests not using a cellphone because it can blur the background — the actual view — too much. Lighting can also be an issue since you're looking through a literal keyhole, so go in the morning when the light faces the basilica. Plus, the lines are shorter in the morning. If you find yourself in Rome, try to veer off the more crowded tourist spots and peep in a keyhole.

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