Ara Pacis Augustae

1902: Previous to his participation in the historic, first, 1903 excavation of the Ara Pacis, Petersen here proposed that the Ara Pacis was a relatively small monument, within an inner courtyard, fronted by a statue of Pax.

Scanned from Eugen Petersen, "Ara Pacis Augustae, von Eugen Petersen, mit Zeichnungen von George Niemann", Sonderschriften des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes in Wien, 1902; vol. 1, fig.2. Reproduced with appreciation.

1902: Three of the earliest attempts to suggest the overall design of the Ara Pacis, based on limited evidence at the time. All 3 of these drawings are by George Niemann, presumably under Petersen's supervision.

Scanned from Eugen Petersen, "Ara Pacis Augustae, von Eugen Petersen, mit Zeichnungen von George Niemann", Sonderschriften des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes in Wien, 1902; vol.1, fig.3. Reproduced with appreciation.

1902: Of the three drawings in Petersen's 1902 publication, this is the only one to suggest the form generally accepted after the historic 1903 excavation.

Scanned from Eugen Petersen, "Ara Pacis Augustae, von Eugen Petersen, mit Zeichnungen von George Niemann", Sonderschriften des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes in Wien,1902; vol.1, fig.59. Reproduced with appreciation.

1904: The caption reads, in translation

"Plate 1. Reconstruction of the altar, designed by Joseph Durm"
"View of the west and southsides. The arrangement of the figures here is different than proposed in the following treatise. From Durm, Baukunst der Etrusker und Römer . . . Alfred Kröner, Stuttgart."
Signed in print "Joseph Durm 1904"

Scanned from Karl Disel, Der Opferzug der Ara Pacis Augustae, nebst drei Tafeln; Hamburg, 1907, pl.1. Reproduced with appreciation.

"Fig. 99 - Architectonic structure of the altar (drawing G. Gatti)"

Scanned from Giuseppe Moretti, L'Ara Pacis Augustae; Rome, 2005 (ist ed. 1948), vol.2, pl.1. Courtesy of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Rome. 2005 (ist ed. 1948), vol.2, fig. 99. Reproduced with appreciation.

1948: "Plate 1 - West front of the monument", print by " Leporini, Roma".
Planar elevation. This detailed print shows the original west front as reconstructed in 1938. The head at upper-right of the Numa/Aeneas panel was later removed as incorrectly located.

Scanned from Giuseppe Moretti, L'Ara Pacis Augustae; Rome, 2005 (ist ed. 1948), vol.2, pl.1. Courtesy of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Rome. Reproduced with appreciation.

1968: These 2 photographs show the altar as seen in the 1938 glass and concrete pavilion designed by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, though by the time of these photos the lower portions of the windows had been covered. Ramps were constructed along the 2 sides to allow closer viewing of the processional friezes, though reducing the ground-level viewing of the full side facades.

Scanned from Erika Simon, Ara Pacis Augustae, Greenwich, Connecticut: New York Graphics Society, Ltd., 1968, pl.1. Reproduced with appreciation.

1970: This photo shows the altar at the time that major repairs were made to the 1938 pavilion in an attempt to better protect the altar from urban polution, severe changes in temperature, provide better viewing conditions, etc.

Scanned from Alberto Pugliese, "Trasparenza e Fede", in Alberto Pugliese and Pino Stampini, Ara Pacis Augustae, Rotary Club Roma Sud, Anno III, n. 5-6, 1970, p.80.. Reproduced with appreciation.

2008:  Ceremonial entrance front with staircase as seen within the new 2006 museum, with state-of-the-art environmental protection. Compare photos at left.

photo Oct. 2008