From 1 March 2021 the Mausoleum of Augustus is back accessible to the public, one of the most impressive architectural works of Roman times and the largest circular tomb of the ancient world. Already from next December 21 it will be possible to book in advance a visit to the monument, closed since 2007 for the start of the archaeological investigations preliminary to the realization of the great recovery and restoration project carried out by Roma Capitale. The museum project in progress is financed thanks to the patronage act of the TIM Foundation.
This morning the initiative was presented by the Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi, the President of the TIM Foundation Salvatore Rossi, the Deputy Mayor of Rome with responsibility for Cultural Growth Luca Bergamo, the Special Superintendent of Rome Daniela Porro and the Capitoline Superintendent Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli .
“A few days before Christmas, we are giving a gift to the Romans and citizens of the whole world. From next March 21 the Mausoleum of Augustus will be reopened to the public, a masterpiece of ancient Rome, a treasure of inestimable value that is reborn in all its splendour. We have come up with a special initiative: it can be visited free of charge by everyone until 2021 April, the day in which "Christmas" is celebrated in Rome, and to do so it will be possible to book the visit online from Monday. For residents of Rome, admission will remain free throughout XNUMX. We will return to discover one of the historical heritages of humanity. An objective achieved thanks to fruitful teamwork, above all, thanks to the support and patronage of the Tim Foundation. A significant testimony to the effectiveness and farsightedness of the collaboration between the public and private sectors. In this specific case, a large Italian company that has invested in the care and enhancement of the immense architectural, archaeological and historical heritage of our city. A wealth that we must project into the future, preserve and protect”, declares the Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi.
“It is a source of pride and satisfaction to be alongside Roma Capitale in this important project for the recovery and enhancement of the Mausoleum of Augustus, one of the symbolic places of the city and a world archaeological heritage. We immediately felt it was important to support the initiative to revive one of the most visited sites in the world. In fact, our contribution responds to the need to promote the private participation model in support of the public in the interest of the community with the dual objective of enhancing the country's heritage, spreading art and culture", declares Salvatore Rossi, President of the Foundation TIM.
The opening of the Mausoleum has an even further significance because it is linked to the commitment of the Superintendence thanks to which the works in Piazza Augusto Imperatore began, which should be completed for this first phase in December 2021. I thank those who have put their intelligence and commitment into this result, truly emblematic, of which I think we should all be happy and proud”, declares the Deputy Mayor in charge of cultural growth, Luca Bergamo.
“The Mibact, through the Special Superintendence of Rome, has always been present in this recovery operation, in the context of the tasks of protection with the evaluation and sharing of the building restoration projects. A role played in a proactive key, aimed at enhancing the value of important finds and the full return to the city of the mausoleum of Augustus, also thanks to the long-awaited rearrangement of the square in front of the entrance to the monument", declares Daniela Porro, Special Superintendent of Rome .
“The Mausoleum of Augustus, a key monument in the transition from republican to imperial Rome, is perhaps the most eloquent example of the reuse, reinterpretation and rediscovery of ancient vestiges in the history of the city. Having become a fortress during the Middle Ages, an Italian garden in the Renaissance, an arena for bulls and buffaloes in the age of the Grand Tour, an auditorium in the first decades of the twentieth century, it was recovered in a political key in the twenty years. For all these phases, the current restoration, with the studies that accompanied it, has provided new, important elements of knowledge”, says the Capitoline Superintendent Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli.
The visits, lasting about 50 minutes, will take place from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 to 16 (last admission at 15). They will be completely free for everyone from 1 March to 21 April 2021 with mandatory booking on the website mausoleodiaugusto.it
From 22 April, and throughout 2021, access will always remain free for residents of Rome.
Starting from 21 April 2021, the visit to the Mausoleum will be enriched with digital content, in virtual and augmented reality, in collaboration with the TIM Foundation. The museum services will be managed by Zètema Progetto Cultura.
After the first phase of conservative restoration completed in 2019 and carried out through public funding of 4.275.000 euros (of which 2 million paid by the Mibact and 2.275.000 by Roma Capitale), the enhancement phase of the monument is currently underway, financed by the TIM Foundation with an act of patronage.
The works, directed by the Capitoline Superintendency for Cultural Heritage, will make it possible to create a complete museum itinerary that will tell the various historical phases of the Mausoleum, flanked by a path without architectural barriers and accessible to all, in conjunction with the renovation works of Piazza Augusto Emperor, launched in May 2020.
Thanks to the restoration work on the Mausoleum carried out so far, with the arrangement of numerous internal chambers and the start of the preparation of the museum itinerary, it is possible to bring the use of the monument forward to March 2021 with respect to the deadlines set for the completion of the museum works. Even with the construction site underway, the public will therefore be able to visit the central area and access the spaces in safety.
