Rome’s streets are some of Europe’s most historic, but that doesn’t mean they’re frozen in time. In fact, there are ongoing efforts to preserve and renew some of the Italian capital’s older sites – and the recently reopened Piazza Augusto Imperatore is proof of that.
The square surrounds the Mausoleum of Augustus, the tomb of Rome’s first-ever emperor. Originally built way back in 28 BC, this mausoleum was used as a concert hall throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but in the 1930s, Mussolini demolished the surrounding mediaeval buildings.
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A €35 million project has been underway to spruce up the square, and the latest stage of restoration is now complete. It was inaugurated in a ceremony on Friday June 6, marking the beginning of the third and final phase of work.
The first phase of development was polished off in 2019, and the second phase – creating a circular walkway overlooking the mausoleum – will be finished later this year. Improving the lighting and accessibility to the museum comprises the final phase.
In the new piazza, there are two graded slopes that connect the mausoleum’s original level with street level, one towards Via Di Ripetta, one towards San Carlo al Corso. At the piazza’s centre, there’s a cafeteria and a large information point.
According to Wanted in Rome, the city’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri said at the ceremony: ‘We are happy to have contributed to the creation of what will become one of the most important focal points in the city of Rome.’
You’ll find Piazza Augusto Imperatore just a 10-minute walk from Piazza del Popolo and around a 30-minute walk from the Vatican City. Here are the very best attractions in Rome.
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