Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The triangular-shaped area between the Spanish Steps, Piazza Venezia, and Piazza del Po-
scale boutiques and fashion stores.
On January 30, 9
B.C.
, soon-to-be-emperor Augustus led a procession of priests up the steps
and into this newly built “Altar of Peace.” They sacrificed an animal on the altar and poured
an offering of wine, thanking the gods for helping Augustus pacify barbarians abroad and
rivals at home. This marked the dawn of the Pax Romana (c.
A.D.
1-200), a Golden Age of
good living, stability, dominance, and peace
(pax)
. The Ara Pacis (AH-rah PAH-chees) hos-
ted annual sacrifices by the emperor until the area was flooded by the Tiber River. Buried
under silt, it was abandoned and forgotten until the 16th century, when various parts were
discovered and excavated. Mussolini gathered the altar's scattered parts and reconstructed
them here in 1938. In 2006, the Altar of Peace reopened to the public in a striking modern
building. As the first new building allowed to be built in the old center since 1938, it's been
controversial, but its quiet, air-conditioned interior may have signaled the dawn of another
new age in Rome.
The Altar of Peace was originally located east of here, along today's Via del Corso. The
model shows where it stood in relation to the Mausoleum of Augustus (now next door) and
the Pantheon. Approach the Ara Pacis and look through the doorway to see the raised altar.
This simple structure has just the basics of a Roman temple: an altar for sacrifices surroun-
ded by cubicle-like walls that enclose a consecrated space.
The reliefs on the north and south sides probably depict the parade of dignitaries who
consecrated the altar, while the reliefs on the west side (near the altar's back door) celebrate
the two things Augustus brought to Rome: peace (goddess Roma as a conquering Amazon,
right side) and prosperity (fertility goddess surrounded by children, plants, and animals).
Cost and Hours:
€7.50, tightwads can look in through huge windows for free; Tue-Sun
9:00-19:00, closed Mon, last entry one hour before closing; €3.50 audioguide available as
free download at
www.arapacis.it
, good WC downstairs. The Ara Pacis is a long block west
ofViadelCorsoonViadiAraPacis,ontheeastbankoftheTibernearPonteCavour,Metro:
Spagna; a 10-minute walk down Via dei Condotti, tel. 06-0608.
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Fausto delle Chiaie (Fausto of the Beach)
This eccentric fellow (who's likely more sane than the rest of us) is a self-appointed part of
the Ara Pacis. Fausto's installation art, usually strewn along the curb that runs between the
Ara Pacis and Mausoleum of Augustus, aims to take you to a different dimension. Though
he sits next to the local art academy, he stresses that the proximity is merely a coincidence.
