Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustan Peace)

Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustan Peace) Review

This vibrant monument of the imperial age has been housed in one of Rome's newest architectural landmarks: a gleaming, rectangular glass-and-travertine structure designed by American architect Richard Meier. Overlooking the Tiber on one side and the ruins of the marble-clad Mausoleo di Augusto (Mausoleum of Augustus), on the other, the result is a serene, luminous oasis right in the center of Rome. Opened in 2006, after a decade of bitter controversy over the monument's relocation, the altar itself dates back to 13 BC to celebrate the Pax Romana, the era of peace ushered in by Augustus's military victories. It is covered with spectacular and moving relief sculptures showing the procession of the Roman imperial family. Notice the poignant presence of several forlorn children; historians now believe they attest to the ambition of Augustus's notorious wife, the Empress Livia, who gained the throne for her son, Tiberius, by dispatching his family rivals with poison, leaving a slew of orphans in her wake.