Ancient Roman monument-turned-eyesore gets needed makeover

Augustus had the mausoleum built for himself and the imperial family, and it also houses the bones and ash of Emperors Vespasian, Nero and Tiberius, each indicated with a marble plaque.

The structure, originally 90 metres (295 feet) in diameter and 45 metres (147 feet) high, originally featured a bronze sculpture of Augustus on the roof. Its location a stone’s throw from the Tiber gave it maximum visibility around the city of Rome.

Over the centuries it was used as a fortress, for bullfights and for concerts. Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, eager to revive Roman imperial glory, restored the area and built a square piazza around it called Piazza Augusto Imperatore, which today houses upscale restaurants and shops.

But the mausoleum itself was shut down in the 1930s, fenced off and left in disrepair.

In the first phase of the restoration, workers cleaned out the garbage and cut back the trees and weeds that grew up inside. Phase two involves installing electricity and a cover.

The restored mausoleum will have an adjoining museum, elevators and a shop, making it a convenient stop alongside the nearby Ara Pacis altar which received a Richard Meier-designed protective covering a decade ago.

Augustus was 35 when he had the mausoleum built, shortly after his victory in the naval Battle of Actium, where he defeated the fleets of Antony and Cleopatra, consolidating his power and making him the undisputed leader of the Roman Empire.

Trisha Thomas, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Ancient Roman monument-turned-eyesore gets needed makeover

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