Mausoleo di Augusto (Augustus’ Tomb)

The tomb of the emperor Augustus in Rome, Italy

Directly across from the museum housing Augustus' Ara Pacis altar, in one of Rome's most hideous, Fascist-designed piazze, lie the rotund brick remains of the tomb of the Emperor Augustus himself.

The Mausoleum of Augustus once housed the remains of Rome's first emperor—born Octavian Thurinus, adopted by Julius Caesar, starting his rule officially in 31 BC, and dying, as Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, in AD 14.

The mausoleum also contained the remains of his family, his general Agrippa, and every Roman emperor up to Nerva (who died AD 98).

After it was an Imperial tomb...

After Nerva came Emperor Trajan who—I guess figuring it was getting a bit crowded in the imperial tomb—had his ashes placed at the base of Trajan's Column.

The following emepror, Hadrian, did him one better and built his own, much larger tumulus tomb across the Tiber River; it now forms the foundations of Castel Sant'Angelo.

This original Imperial tomb remained revered thoughout the era of Imperial Rome. Sadly, however, during the fall of Rome invading barbarians sacked the tomb.

They took the fabulous urns containing the family's remains, and unceremoniously dumped the imperial ashes onto the floor to make off with the urns as booty. (So I guess, technically, some bits of Augustus and his family probably still are in here, just ground deeply into the centuries of dirt on the floor.)

This ring of brick 295 feet in diameter was once crowned with a dirt mound and cypress trees, but has been so abused throughout the centuries—in the Middle Ages it was a fortress, then became an amphitheater in the baroque era for cockfights and bear baiting, and finally was used as a concert hall until 1936—that we're lucky the body survives with a few plaques of the old marble cladding still in place.

Home to a homeless shanty town and vast colony of cats in the 1980s, the ancient tomb is now being better excavated and restored.

In years past, it has been open by appointment, but the present and future of this is uncertain. You can always try calling tel. +39-06-0608 or 06-6710-3819 and asking.

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