Mausoleo di Augusto

The Mausoleum of Augustus is a monumental circular tomb begun in 28 BC on Rome's Campus Martius for Augustus and members of the imperial family.

Why it matters

The mausoleum was the largest circular tomb of the ancient world and established the Julio-Claudian dynasty's burial place in Rome. Its massive concrete and travertine structure has survived successive changes of use over two millennia.

What to notice

The circular drum was faced with travertine and crowned by a bronze statue of Augustus. A south-facing entrance corridor led to the central burial chamber, which contained niches for ash urns. Two granite obelisks once stood near the entrance; one is now behind Santa Maria Maggiore and the other in Piazza del Quirinale. The Res Gestae was displayed on bronze tablets beside the entrance.

Context and history

Augustus began the mausoleum in 28 BC after his victory at Actium. Ashes of members of the Julio-Claudian family, including Agrippa, Livia, Tiberius, Germanicus, Claudius and Caligula, were placed there. In the Middle Ages the Colonna family fortified the structure. It later served as a garden, amphitheatre, concert hall and cinema. Twentieth-century redevelopment isolated it from the surrounding urban fabric; a new public square opened in 2025 as part of a programme to reconnect the monument with the city.