Ara Pacis, Ancient Roman altar in Municipio I, Rome, Italy
The Ara Pacis is a marble altar on a podium, enclosed by precinct walls and entered from the west by a small staircase. The exterior walls carry a lower frieze of acanthus scrolls with small animals and an upper register of mythological panels and processional scenes; inside, ox skulls alternate with fruit garlands.
The Senate decided in 13 BC to build this monument after the emperor returned from Spain and Gaul. The dedication took place four years later in a large ceremony on the Field of Mars.
The name means Altar of Peace and recalls the end of a long war under Augustus. Visitors today see a white monument with finely carved reliefs standing inside a modern glass building that illustrates the importance of imperial power.
The museum opens daily except on certain holidays and offers audio guides in several languages. You can reach the building comfortably on foot from the Tiber or from Piazza del Popolo.
Workers found the fragments in the 16th century deep beneath a palace on the Corso and only collected them completely centuries later. The reconstruction in the 20th century required placing the monument in a new location and orienting it differently than originally.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,634 contributors worldwide.
