diff --git a/python/gtsam/tests/test_Rot3.py b/python/gtsam/tests/test_Rot3.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..273e0e210
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/gtsam/tests/test_Rot3.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""
+GTSAM Copyright 2010-2019, Georgia Tech Research Corporation,
+Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0415
+All Rights Reserved
+See LICENSE for the license information
+Rot3 unit tests.
+Author: John Lambert
+"""
+# pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
+
+import unittest
+
+import numpy as np
+
+import gtsam
+from gtsam import Rot3
+from gtsam.utils.test_case import GtsamTestCase
+
+
+class TestRot3(GtsamTestCase):
+    """Test selected Rot3 methods."""
+
+    def test_axisangle(self) -> None:
+        """Test .axisAngle() method."""
+        # fmt: off
+        R = np.array(
+          [
+            [ -0.999957, 0.00922903, 0.00203116],
+            [ 0.00926964, 0.999739, 0.0208927],
+            [ -0.0018374, 0.0209105, -0.999781]
+          ])
+        # fmt: on
+        
+        # get back angle in radians
+        _, actual_angle = Rot3(R).axisAngle()
+        expected_angle = 3.1396582; 
+        self.gtsamAssertEquals(actual_angle, expected_angle, 1e-7)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()