(CNN) – He was the first Roman emperor to take over from Julius Caesar and build an empire that would eventually extend from the United Kingdom to Egypt, boasting on the bed of his death that “I found Rome built of bricks and I stop marble “.
But Emperor Augustus was not charged exactly in cash when he died in 14CE.
His tomb, a huge circular mausoleum, which was the largest in the city when it was built, was abandoned for centuries.
With the roof down and the cypress trees planted around it no longer going wild, it has long been a long way from the carefully preserved Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
In fact, for much of the last 80 years, it has been closed to the public, with brief openings in 2000 to celebrate the year of the city’s Jubilee and, again, before it was closed in 2007 for archaeological research.
It was expected to reopen in 2014, to mark 2,000 years since August’s death. In the end, however, with the conservation work still in progress, it opened the same day.
But finally, a 13-year restoration has been completed and is due to open to the public in March 2021.
A large-scale reform
After decades of neglect, it will reopen to the public.
Capitoline Superintendence for Cultural Heritage
The restorations, completed in two stages, have cost more than 10 million euros ($ 12 million). The first phase, funded in part by the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities, and the Roman authorities, was completed in 2019. He oversaw the restoration of the monument.
The second phase, funded by the Fondazione TIM, the social arm of Telecom Italia, worth 6 million euros ($ 7,300,000), has focused on internal spaces and has set it up for tours.
Huge structural works have been carried out to protect the mausoleum and a spiral staircase leading to the roof of the monument has been rebuilt.
The Fondazione TIM has also funded the restoration of the funerary space and landscaping around the mausoleum.
Even the outer square, Piazza Augusto Imperatore, is being renovated. So far, the mausoleum has been somewhat of a roundabout, with cars parked around it. The works will be completed in December 2021.
Great neighbors
The mausoleum was originally as large as Pinci Hill.
Capitoline Superintendence for Cultural Heritage
In 2006, the old pavilion surrounding it was replaced by a glass and steel structure by architect Richard Meier, which is a work of art in itself. Now the altar is visible from the river Tiber, with the mausoleum behind.
Augustus had great plans for his tomb. The emperor, who was born in 63 BC and took power in 14CE, began his duties in 28 BC, following his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, when “Augustus” was simply Octavi. name before becoming emperor.
A gargantuan tomb, lined with marble
The interiors had been severely damaged over the centuries.
Capitoline Superintendence for Cultural Heritage
Built for him and his family, it is the largest circular tomb in the ancient world, with a diameter of almost 90 meters and a height of at least 45 meters, which can be assumed from the remains. Only a third of the original monument has survived.
Its gargantuan size made it almost as large as the nearby hill of Pinci, and it was located next to the Tiber so that it was visible from most of the city.
Although today it is made of brick, originally, those walls were covered with travertine marble, of which only current remains remain.
It is believed to have served as a tomb for over 100 years, before records were lost. It was mentioned later in the 10th century.
From a fortress to an amphitheater
The mausoleum seen in 1963, with the Tiber beyond.
Museum of Rome, Photographic Archive
In medieval times, a fortress was built on top of the remains, but it was destroyed in 1241. After that, the structure was gradually dismantled, removing the marble for use as a building material.
In the 16th century, the owners of a nearby palace turned the interior of the tomb into a garden. In the 1780s it was used as an amphitheater, with an exhibition of bulls and fairs. In the 19th century it was covered by a glass dome and was used for theater performances; in the 20th century, the Auditorium Augusteo was already used as a concert hall.
It was not until 1936 that his new life came to an end, when the fascist regime – trying to excavate and preserve the city’s heritage, with the aim of aligning itself with ancient Rome – demolished the dome and modern buildings to make the tomb known once more.
Restoration work stopped during World War II and began again in the 1950s.