Beginning tomorrow, the Mausoleum of Augustus will reopen to the public. Closed since 2007, the tomb of Rome’s first emperor was recently restored by the Italian telecommunications company TIM. Visits for tourists won’t be until later, but if you’re planning a trip to Rome in the next few years, this is definitely worth checking out.
Built to house the remains of Augustus as well as other emperors, it fell into disrepair after imperial authority collapsed in the fifth century. For the next 1500 years, it was used for a number of things: bullfights, a family fortress, and a private garden. Under a unified Italy, when it was known as the Augusteo, it was a concert hall.
After the rise of Mussolini, the theater was closed and restoration attempts began. Mussolini’s Piazza Augusto Imperatore was to be one of many public spaces that articulated the power of the fascist regime in Rome. Along with new government buildings and the restored Altar of Peace, the mausoleum, once restored, would be proof of Rome’s eternal greatness.
Mussolini’s plans never happened. With the beginning of World War II, restoration stopped. After the fall of the fascist regime, Mussolini’s restoration project was never picked back up and the mausoleum has sat more or less as Mussolini left it. But with TIM’s intervention, we can now enjoy the building and learn more about its history from the inside.
It’s one of my favorite lesser known gems in the city. While it’s been closed for years, I was able to gain access to be building in 2016. Here are a few pictures of the inside before restoration. The restored version will, I assume, be a little more tidy.
Robert Clines, Ph.D. 