The view from the keyhole of the Magistral Villa, home of the Sovereign Order of Malta, is undoubtedly one of the most evocative and unusual in Rome. The small hole in the entrance portal offers a surprising perspective: the dome of St. Peter's Basilica appears perfectly framed by the laurel hedges of the internal garden. The spectacle is even more breathtaking in the evening, when the darkness of the vegetation contrasts with the splendor of the illuminated dome.

It is uncertain whether this view was an intentional idea by Giovanni Battista Piranesi—the famous engraver and architect who designed the portal and Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta in 1765—but it is hard to believe that it is simply a coincidence. It was Piranesi himself who chose laurel to create the iconic "telescope" effect: if one were to walk from the doorway towards the dome, one would have the illusion that it was moving away rather than approaching.