Explore the real-world places that appear in The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Capitoline Museums, Catacombs of St. Callixtus, Trajan's Column, Villa Borghese, Palazzo Massimo and 4 more.
Piazza del Campidoglio — The Faun of Praxiteles
Here Miriam, Hilda, Kenyon, and Donatello first encounter the marble faun that gives the novel its title. The statue bears an uncanny resemblance to Donatello, with its pointed ears and innocent, animal-like expression. The friends debate whether Donatello possesses the same fawn-like nature as the ancient sculpture, setting up the novel's central mystery about his true identity and connection to the mythical past.
The Capitoline Museums, established in 1471, are among the world's oldest public museums. They house one of the finest collections of ancient Roman statuary, including the famous Faun of Praxiteles that inspired Hawthorne's novel.
The museums remain one of Rome's premier cultural attractions, displaying ancient sculptures, Renaissance paintings, and archaeological artifacts. Visitors can still see statues similar to Hawthorne's inspiring faun.
Visit: Capitoline Museums (museum)
Via Appia Antica — Miriam's mysterious past
Miriam leads her friends into the dark catacombs, where they encounter the mysterious Model who has been pursuing her. In these ancient Christian burial chambers, the Model confronts Miriam about their shared dark secret from her past. The underground maze of tunnels and tombs becomes a symbol of hidden guilt and the inescapable nature of sin that haunts Miriam throughout the novel.
The Catacombs of St. Callixtus date to the 2nd century AD and served as burial grounds for early Christians. These underground passages contain thousands of tombs and some of the earliest Christian art and inscriptions in Rome.
The catacombs are open to the public for guided tours, allowing visitors to explore the same underground chambers that fascinated Hawthorne and inspired this pivotal scene in his novel.
Visit: Catacombs of St. Callixtus (historic site)
Via dei Fori Imperiali — The Model's death
From the base of this ancient column, Donatello pushes the evil Model to his death, forever changing his innocent nature. The act transforms the faun-like young man from a creature of pure instinct into someone burdened with the knowledge of sin and guilt. Miriam witnesses this violent act that she has unconsciously willed, binding her fate to Donatello's through shared complicity in murder.
Trajan's Column was erected in 113 AD to commemorate Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. Standing 98 feet tall, it features a continuous spiral frieze depicting the military campaigns and remains one of Rome's best-preserved ancient monuments.
The column stands in Trajan's Forum near the Roman Forum, accessible to visitors who can admire its detailed sculptural reliefs. The surrounding archaeological area provides context for understanding ancient Roman imperial power.
Visit: Trajan's Forum (historic site)
Pincian Hill — Kenyon's sculpture garden
American sculptor Kenyon works in his studio near these gardens, creating his marble busts of his friends. Here he sculpts Donatello's portrait, capturing both the young man's innocent beauty and the shadow that falls across his features after the Model's death. The villa's peaceful gardens provide a contrast to the dark psychological drama unfolding among the characters.
Villa Borghese was created in the early 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Borghese as a vast landscaped garden and villa complex. It became a center of art patronage and housed one of Rome's greatest private art collections.
The Villa Borghese is now Rome's largest public park, containing the Borghese Gallery with its renowned collection of Bernini sculptures and other masterpieces. The gardens offer peaceful walks and panoramic views of the city.
Visit: Villa Borghese (park)
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II — Miriam's mysterious residence
The enigmatic artist Miriam lives in this ancient palazzo, surrounded by her dark paintings that hint at violence and mystery. Her apartment becomes a gathering place for the four friends, but also the site where her troubled past begins to intrude on their artistic bohemian life. The palazzo's shadowy corridors mirror the secrets Miriam keeps about her connection to the sinister Model.
The Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne was built in the 16th century by architect Baldassarre Peruzzi on the site of ancient Roman ruins. It represents one of the finest examples of High Renaissance palace architecture in Rome.
The palazzo remains a private residence of the Massimo family but its curved facade on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II can be admired from the street. The building exemplifies the layered history that fascinated Hawthorne.
Via di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte — Hilda's tower studio
Innocent American Hilda lives in a tower studio near this church, tending a shrine lamp for the Virgin Mary. Her elevated dwelling, filled with copies of Renaissance masterpieces, represents artistic purity and moral clarity. After witnessing the Model's death, Hilda loses her ability to copy the great masters, her innocence corrupted by knowledge of evil. She eventually seeks confession in this very church.
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte dates to the 12th century but was rebuilt in the 17th century. The church is known for its baroque interior and the miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary to Alphonse Ratisbonne in 1842.
The church remains active and open to visitors, featuring beautiful baroque architecture and artwork. Its bell tower and the surrounding narrow streets preserve the medieval atmosphere that Hawthorne described.
Visit: Church of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte (historic site)
Bridge over the Tiber — Donatello's transformation
After the Model's death, the transformed Donatello often walks this ancient bridge, no longer the carefree faun-like creature he once was. The bridge, lined with baroque angel statues, symbolizes his passage from innocence to experience. Here he contemplates his crime and the weight of moral consciousness that now burdens his soul.
Originally built by Emperor Hadrian in 134 AD as the Pons Aelius, the bridge connected his mausoleum (now Castel Sant'Angelo) to the city center. The current angel statues were added by Bernini in the 17th century.
Ponte Sant'Angelo remains one of Rome's most beautiful bridges, offering spectacular views of St. Peter's Basilica and the Tiber. The ten angel statues make it a popular tourist destination and photography spot.
Visit: Ponte Sant'Angelo (landmark)
Tuscan countryside — Donatello's ancestral home
Donatello retreats to his family's ancient castle in the Tuscan hills, taking Kenyon with him. Here, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, Kenyon learns about Donatello's mysterious family history and their possible connection to the ancient fauns. The castle's tower and grounds provide the setting for their philosophical discussions about the nature of sin, innocence, and moral development.
The Tuscan countryside is dotted with medieval castles and villas that belonged to noble families for centuries. These fortified residences often have histories dating back to the feudal period and the rise of the Italian city-states.
Many historic castles in Tuscany have been converted into hotels, wineries, or remain private residences. The landscape of vineyards and hilltop towns continues to embody the romantic ideal that attracted 19th-century American visitors like Hawthorne.
Piazza della Rotonda — Ancient mysteries
The four friends often meet near the Pantheon, marveling at its ancient dome and discussing the mysteries of Rome's layered history. The building's perfect preservation despite its great age parallels the novel's themes about the persistence of the past and the way ancient influences continue to shape modern lives. Hawthorne uses it to explore the weight of history on the American characters.
Built by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD on the site of an earlier temple by Marcus Agrippa, the Pantheon is the best-preserved Roman building. Its revolutionary concrete dome remained the world's largest for over a millennium.
The Pantheon functions as a church (Santa Maria ad Martyres) and remains one of Rome's most visited monuments. Visitors can still experience the awe-inspiring interior space that fascinated Hawthorne's characters.
Visit: Pantheon (historic site)
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