Campus Martius
Northern Campus Martius in Augustan Period
One of the many contributions of the Rotary Club of South Rome to the restoraton of the Ara Pacis and its building are two small, informative models on display in the museum. The one below shows the northern Campus Martius during the Augustan period. It makes clear the open, undeveloped landscape of the northern Campus Martius and the location of the Mausoleum, Obelisk, and Ara Pacis as Augustus and Agrippa began development of the area. This model was made by the Istituto Statale d'Arte Roma 2 (now Liceo Artistico Roma 2), directed by Prof. Antonio Celli, with scientific advice from F. De Caprariis and A. Viscoglios. Reproduced with appreciation.
The other model is of the entire Ara Pacis Augustae and is also available on this we site.
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Model of the northern Campus Martius in the Augustan period, on display in entry area of Museo dell'Ara Pacis. photo July 2008
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Museum label beside model. "ROMA CLUB ROMA SUD Plastic model of the north Campus Martius in the Augustan period Gift of the Rotary Club Roma Sud made by the Istituto Statale d'Arte Roma 2" photo July 2008
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Model as seen looking north, past the Pantheon in the foreground to the Mausolum of Augustus in the distance. photo May 2010
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Showing relationship of the Ara Pacis to the Obelisk and the hypothetical, so-called "horologium-solarium". photo May 2010 |
Looking northwest from the Ara Pacis to the Mausoleum. There is no evidence that this exact alignment was important in the deisgn. photo May 2010
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Looking almost directly north past the obelisk. The Ara Pacis faces the Via Flaminia (now Via del Corso) running diagonally along right of this photo. photo May 2010
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Mausoleo di Augusto from the west, its entrance at the right, facing south. The Mausoleum was built about 28-27 BCE, thus slightly before the Ara Pacis. Enough of the original structure survives to establish its footprint and some of its form, but there are various proposals for its original design. photo July 2008 |
Pantheon from the west, its entrance at the left, facing north, The Pantheon was first built about 27-25 BCE, thus slightly before the Ara Pacis. Its original form is unknown because it was completely rebuilt several times later. photo July 2008
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Ara Pacis Augustae from the northeast. The east front with doorway faced the main public avenue, the Via Flaminia, across the bottom of this photo. The ceremonial west front, also with doorway, is on the opposite side. photo July 2008
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"Figure 77 Northern Campus Martius." Showing original location of Ara Pacis and other ancient Roman monuments, with modern streets superimposed. Scanned from Filippo Coarelli, |
Map of present day Rome with original location of Ara Pacis, obelisk, and meridian superimposed. This was the first published drawing to exclude any indication of the previously supposed vast sundial. Scanned from Amanda Claridge, Rome, an Oxford Archaeological Guide, Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 2010, p. 214; map drawn by the author. Reproduced with appreciation.
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"Fig. 2 - Position of the Ara Pacis on the Campus Martius". The public approach front is on the right facing the Via Flaminia to the east. The ceremonial entrance front is on the left, facing approximately west. This drawing includes the later brick wall constructed around the Ara Pacis to protect it from the rising ground level. Scanned from Guglielmo Gatti, "Ara Pacis Augustae: Le Vicende", in Pino Stampini, Ara Pacis Augustae, 1970, fig.2. Reproduced with appreciation.
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