Mausoleum of Augustus

The Mausoleum of Augustus, the huge tomb of the emperor, appeared in Rome in 28 BC and still retains its majestic appearance. Over its long history, the mausoleum has seen magnificent burials and dark periods of looting, complete oblivion and renewed interest. The mausoleum has been open to visitors since 2021, and people come here from all over the world.

History of the Mausoleum of Augustus

It is believed that the monumental structure was conceived by Emperor Augustus at a fairly young age. The great ruler of the Roman Empire was not in good health, so he worried in advance about perpetuating his own name and creating a room to store the remains of the descendants of the glorious family. Some historians claim that such an unusual idea for the Romans came to the emperor’s mind after visiting the tomb of Alexander the Great in Egypt.

The ashes of the dead were to be kept in magnificent golden vases, and the mighty structure was to become a visual reminder of the power of the Julio-Claudian family. But history judged differently. The seemingly indestructible Roman Empire fell under the onslaught of the Visigothic barbarians, who did not greatly worship the memory of the dead and, without worrying for long, stole the golden vessels for sale, stealing everything they could from the walls, floor and ceiling of the Mausoleum of Augustus.

Features of the structure

The robbers left the building of the Mausoleum of Augustus as a structure of no particular value. A little later, the structure was turned into a fortress, which regularly performed its functions until the 12th century, when it was destroyed during another internecine war. The once magnificent building slowly deteriorated, periodically becoming an arena for bullfights, a platform for performances by traveling artists, a habitat for dubious characters and girls of easy behavior.

In the Middle Ages, the unusual building of the Mausoleum of Augustus was slightly excavated to become part of the wall surrounding the park of Cardinal Soderini, and in the mid-18th century fireworks were launched from it for the amusement of all residents of the Eternal City. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the ancient building was covered with a dome and a huge concert hall with 3.5 thousand seats was organized. A couple of decades later, during excavations on the Field of Mars, archaeologists were able to prove that under a multi-meter layer of earth there is a tomb of the imperial family. Information about this was of great interest to Mussolini, who ordered restoration work to begin. In his opinion, this was to be the beginning of the revival of a new world empire. But it didn't. Already in the 21st century, the building underwent restoration once again, and was even open for one day to the public. However, after that it was closed again. Currently, you can visit the architectural monument by pre-registering on the website.

Brief description

The unusual building was not very impressive in its luxury, reminiscent of Etruscan burial grounds with its laconic forms. The basis of the Mausoleum of Augustus was a cylindrical structure with a diameter of just under 90 meters and a height of just over 40 meters. Here in the depths there was a burial room with urns. The structure was dominated by an earthen mound, planted with evergreens, and on the top of the hill there once stood a statue of the building’s customer: Emperor Augustus. Next to the mausoleum there was a stone terrace with light columns, and the entrance to the building was marked by obelisks representing the victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Bronze slabs were also located here, serving as a chronicle of the life of Augustus. Today, all that remains of its former grandeur are picturesque ruins.