The restoration of the Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome, Italy

The restoration of the Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome, Italy. 

The Mausoleum of is a large tomb built by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 28 BC on the Campus Martius in Rome, Italy. The mausoleum is located on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore, near the corner with Via di Ripetta as it runs along the Tiber. The grounds cover an area equivalent to a few city blocks nestled between the church of San Carlo al Corso and the Museum of the Ara Pacis. The mausoleum is currently in the process of a restoration, upon which it will open to the public.  The mausoleum was one of the first projects initiated by Augustus in the city of Rome following his victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. The mausoleum was circular in plan, consisting of several concentric rings of earth and brick, faced with travertine on the exterior, and planted with cypresses on the top tier. The whole structure was capped by a conical roof and a huge bronze statue of Augustus thought to be the statue now known as the Augustus of Prima Porta. 

Of the more than 13,000 square meters of walls that can be seen today, nearly half date back to the original construction from the time of Augustus, and almost the same amount consists instead of walls dating back to the restoration work of the 1930s. There are also remains of walls built in medieval and Renaissance times. These walls added in later periods will not be removed, but will in turn be restored unless they are at severe risk of collapse. Phase Two of the restoration will enable the realization of a museum itinerary to include full disabled access to ensure that the museum will be accessible to all, even though it is built within an ancient structure.  The museum itinerary will be laid out in the trapezoidal concamerations, which will be visited in a clockwise direction, with the succession of rooms reflecting the succession of significant moments in the life of the Mausoleum.  The walls will not be plastered but will present their antique appearance, as revealed during the conservative restoration. The rooms will house the remains of the various phases of the monument’s life, the archaeological finds from the latest excavations undertaken just before the restoration, and other finds from the area.

The Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome, Italy, 1st century BCE.  Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Ethan Doyle White.

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