I found it! I've heard about the "keyhole" for years from in-the-know travelers but never had the time to hunt it down. This time, I did. It was a long uphill walk to the top of Aventino Hill for the quick peek, but it was worth it.
The photo is of St. Peter's Basilica through the keyhole to the door of the headquarters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. What (or who) is that, you ask? Better known as the Knights of Malta, they are what was left of the former monastic order created during the Crusades to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land. Today, their mission is to provide humanitarian and medical aid (similar to the Red Cross).
There were only a handful of visitors the day I visited. That tells me the keyhole is still not making the edited pages of most popular guidebooks. OK by me! Since only one person can peer through the keyhole at a time, it allowed me the time to hog the spot for several photos. I might add, it does take a high quality camera lens to capture the photo. Can you believe how perfectly aligned the domes and the arch of the trees are? Happenstance, or deliberate? I wish I knew!
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