Ara Pacis Museum

Facing the Lungotevere (Tiber Embankment), visible through a large transparent display case, is one of the highest examples of classical art, now a real museum animated by events and exhibitions.

An imposing white marble altar, finely decorated, built in 13 B.C. to honour the victorious return of the Emperor Augustus, after campaigns to consolidate Roman rule in the colonies in Gaul and Spain.

In the 1930s, in the heart of the Campo Marzio district, architect Morpurgo was commissioned to create a pavilion to preserve the monument.

In the 1990s, technical surveys revealed the inadequacy of the structure and, following a public tender, the Richard Meier firm of architects created a new, more functional and impressive museum facility, which also involved the redevelopment of the square outside the building.

With its glass roof, measuring over 500 square metres, the Ara Pacis is now even more appealing to the eye and its mixed-use spaces host exhibitions, meetings and events, with a constantly varied and interesting programme.