A mountain made of Roman shards

Monte dei Cocci (also known as Monte Testaccio, the "Hill of Shards") is one of the most astonishing and least-known sights in Rome: a man-made hill roughly 35 metri high, with a circumference of nearly a kilometer, built entirely from fragments of Roman amphorae (the testae that gave the neighborhood its name). This isn't a natural rise but a landfill of ancient Rome: an orderly heap of millions of amphorae, stacked over centuries.

It's a monument with no equal anywhere in the world, and it tells the staggering scale of trade across the Roman Empire.

The history: ancient Rome's "landfill"

In antiquity, Rome's great river port stood right beside Monte dei Cocci (the Emporium), where goods from across the empire arrived along the Tiber, above all olive oil from Spain and Africa. The oil traveled in large amphorae that, once empty, couldn't be reused (rancid oil soaked into the clay walls). So they were smashed and stacked in neat layers, dusted with lime, and over the centuries (from the I al III secolo d.C.) they built this genuine mountain of shards. It's estimated to hold the remains of tens of millions of amphorae.

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How to visit

You can admire Monte dei Cocci from the outside freely, strolling around its base, where amphora fragments still poke through the soil. Climbing to the top and visiting the interior are usually allowed only on special occasions or through organized guided tours (for conservation and safety reasons): if you'd like to go up, check what's currently on offer. Even from the outside, though, grasping what this hill really is makes for a fascinating experience.

The hill after dark: the nightlife

Here's a curious twist: at the base of Monte dei Cocci, in the caves dug into the hill (once used as cellars for their natural cool), bars, restaurants, and clubs have moved in. By night the area becomes one of the hubs of Roman nightlife. So the ancient imperial "landfill" is now a place to socialize, a quintessentially Roman contrast between millennia of history and everyday life.

Frequently asked questions

What is Monte dei Cocci? A man-made hill roughly 35 metri high in Testaccio, built entirely from fragments of Roman amphorae: essentially the orderly "landfill" of ancient Rome, unique in the world.

Why did it form? Rome's river port stood right beside it, where oil arrived in amphorae. The empty amphorae, which couldn't be reused, were smashed and stacked in neat layers for centuries, building up the hill.

How many amphorae does it contain? It's estimated to hold the remains of tens of millions of amphorae, accumulated between the I and III secolo d.C.: an extraordinary record of the empire's trade.

Can you climb Monte dei Cocci? It's freely visible from the outside; climbing to the top is generally allowed only with guided tours or on special occasions, for conservation reasons. Check what's currently on offer.

What's at the base of the hill today? Bars, restaurants, and clubs carved into the caves of the hill: by night it's one of the hubs of Rome's nightlife.

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Article #461 · Category: Neighborhoods · Updated: May 2026