Ara Pacis

Rome, Italy

The Ara Pacis Augustae ('Altar of Augustan Peace') is an altar in Rome dedicated to Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace. The monument was commissioned by the Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honor the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hispania and Gaul and consecrated on January 30, 9 BC. Originally located on the northern outskirts of Rome, a Roman mile from the boundary of the pomerium on the west side of the Via Flaminia, the Ara Pacis stood in the northeastern corner of the Campus Martius, the former flood plain of the Tiber River and gradually became buried under 4 metres of silt deposits. It was reassembled in its current location, now the Museum of the Ara Pacis, in 1938.

The altar reflects the Augustan vision of Roman civil religion. The lower register of its frieze depicts vegetal work meant to communicate the abundance and prosperity of the Roman Peace, while the monument as a whole serves a civic ritual function whilst simultaneously operating as propaganda for Augustus and his regime, easing notions of autocracy and dynastic succession that might otherwise be unpalatable to traditional Roman culture.

References:

Comments

Your name


Address

Via di Ripetta 190, Rome, Italy
See all sites in Rome

Details

Founded: 13 BCE
Category: Museums in Italy

More Information

www.arapacis.it
en.wikipedia.org
www.rome-museum.com

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Colosseum (2,2 km)
Sistine Chapel (1,8 km)
Arch of Constantine (2,2 km)
St. Peter's Basilica (1,9 km)
Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli (1,5 km)
Altare della Patria (1,4 km)
St. Peter's Square (1,6 km)
Pantheon (0,8 km)
Vatican Historical Museum (1,7 km)


Villa d'Este (27,3 km)

User Reviews

Nathan Troester (2 years ago)
Very cool exhibit, with a lot of well-preserved history. The additional exhibits were unfortunately closed during our visit.
Josh Crammel (2 years ago)
Lovely place with always interesting and all kinds of exhibitions..I saw the one about the Italian actor 60s, Marcello Mastroianni ... unforgettable
Tom Kubina (3 years ago)
You can admire this piece of antic history in peace and quite as not so many people goes here. So you have plenty of time to step by and explore every piece of it. Also Sergo Leone exhibition was amazing.
Annette Larcombe (3 years ago)
Second time I have been to this museum, I must have missed getting pictures on my phone, during this visit. Thé Ara Pacis, is the Altar of peace. Which sunk Into the bog, during the flooding of Rome long after its construction. It was then broken apart and people removed parts taking them all over the world. They have more recently been reunited (not totally in its entirety) and placed in a specialised Museo near the tomb of Augustus (currently being renovated and restored). The significance being Augustus brought peace to the empire and thus the reason for building the Altar. It contains images down the side of lots of the leading class of Rome at the time. Notes at the Museo indicate they can identify most of these individuals. It is a little out of the way, but it is well worth a visit for about 30-60 minutes, to understand this period in Rome’s history. You can combine it with a walk around the outside of Augustus tomb and a few other points.
Michael Asheroff (3 years ago)
Amazing museum dedicated to the monument first erected by Augustus. Fabulous detail in the carvings. See this on your next visit to Rome
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Landmarks of Sicily
Photo from Flickr, copyright Nicola since 1972

Historic Site of the week

Royal Palace of Naples

Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2022 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.