Bill's Aviation Log

We turned west om Tomacelli and from the Ponte Carour (bridge) got our first good look at the historic Tiber River.

We continued north up the east side of the Tiber River and came to the Mausoleum of Augustus.

Rome’s first emperor, Octavian Augustus, who famously said "I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble", began construction of what would become his mausoleum in 28 BCE, not long after he’d won the Battle of Actium, in which he defeated Anthony and Cleopatra. He may have been inspired by his visit to the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria. We don’t know what that tomb looks like or even exactly where it is, but at the time, it must have made a strong impression on young Octavian.

Augustus’ mausoleum was meant to be a tomb for his family, close confidants, and most of the Julio-Claudio dynasty. The mausoleum was actively used for burials until 217 CE.

The traditional story is that in AD 410, during the sack of Rome by Alaric, the pillaging Visigoths rifled the vaults, stole the urns and scattered the ashes, without damaging the structure of the building. Platner and Ashby, however, posited that "The story of its plundering by Alaric in 410 has no historical foundation, and we know nothing of its destruction"

In the early Middle Ages, the mausoleum had degraded to the extent that it was just another old tomb, abandoned and overgrown with plants and trees. By the 12th century, Augustus’ tomb, like Hadrian’s tomb across the Tiber, had been converted into a fortress.

For the next several hundred years, different powerful Roman families took control over the monument. In the 16th century, the Soderini family purchased the property and created a hanging garden inside the top crater. In the 18th century, the mausoleum was acquired by Portuguese Marquis Benedetto Correa de Sylva, who transformed the space into a sort of bullfighting ring. In 1802, the mausoleum became property of the Papal States, and finally in 1873, it became Crown Property of the Kingdom of Italy.

In 1907, the inner portion of the monument was converted into a concert hall, known as the Augusteo. It seated around 3,500 people. In 1936, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini closed the mausoleum and ordered that it be restored to an archeological site. Mussolini in some ways saw himself as the “Augustus” of the new age, and he may have thought that the mausoleum would be a good resting place for himself.

It isn't known exactly what the Mausoleum of Augustus looked like, but we have a pretty good idea. This is in large part thanks to writings by Strabo of Amasya, (63/64 BCE - 24 CE), a Greek geographer of the time who saw the monument and wrote about it in his book, Geography.

The neglect of the mausoleum—closed to the public, overgrown with vegetation, and used as a dumping ground for litter -- attracted criticism, especially after the opening of the Ara Pacis museum across the street in 2006. A restoration began in 2017 but the mausoleum is still closed at this time.

Hopefully the restoration will be completed; Augustus is worthy of a showpiece mausoleum.

On each side of the piazza to the east and west stand fountains created by Giovanni Ceccarini (1822–23), with matching compositions of a central figure flanked by two attendant figures.

On the west side is The Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune).

At the edge of the Piazza del Popolo are the "twin" churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto (left, built 1662–75) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right, built 1675–79). The Via del Corso exits between the two churches. and runs straight north-south all the way to Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forum.

On the left is Santa Maria in Montesanto Basilica, one of the twin churches on the Piazza del Popolo, known to honor artists. On the right is Chiesa Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Domed Renaissance church founded on the site of a medieval miracle attributed to the Virgin Mary.

Inside one, look for Raphael's Chigi Chapel and two paintings by Caravaggion.

May 19, 2024 - Classic Italy Walking Rome (Again)
Leaving the Church of St. Ignatius, we walked a block east and headed north on the Via del Corso . We were doing what Rick Steves calls the city's chic stroll, or the Dolce Vita Stroll. This section of the Via del Corso is traffic-free and is jammed with people, seeing and being seen. The Via del Corso has been straight since Roman times.

We turned west om Tomacelli and from the Ponte Carour (bridge) got our first good look at the historic Tiber River.

At right is the Chiesa di San Girolamo dei Croati Catholic Church. At left, partly obscured by trees, is the Ara Pacis Museum, a glass-walled, light-filled museum that showcases the Ara Pacis, an ornate Roman altar. It was dedicated to the Pax Romana. The monument was commissioned by the Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honour the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hispania and Gaul and consecrated on January 30, 9 BC. We looked through the windows but did not go in.

We continued north up the east side of the Tiber River and came to the Mausoleum of Augustus. Rome’s first emperor, Octavian Augustus, who famously said "I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble", began construction of what would become his mausoleum in 28 BCE, not long after he’d won the Battle of Actium, in which he defeated Anthony and Cleopatra. He may have been inspired by his visit to the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria. We don’t know what that tomb looks like or even exactly where it is, but at the time, it must have made a strong impression on young Octavian. Augustus’ mausoleum was meant to be a tomb for his family, close confidants, and most of the Julio-Claudio dynasty. The mausoleum was actively used for burials until 217 CE. The traditional story is that in AD 410, during the sack of Rome by Alaric, the pillaging Visigoths rifled the vaults, stole the urns and scattered the ashes, without damaging the structure of the building. Platner and Ashby, however, posited that "The story of its plundering by Alaric in 410 has no historical foundation, and we know nothing of its destruction" In the early Middle Ages, the mausoleum had degraded to the extent that it was just another old tomb, abandoned and overgrown with plants and trees. By the 12th century, Augustus’ tomb, like Hadrian’s tomb across the Tiber, had been converted into a fortress. For the next several hundred years, different powerful Roman families took control over the monument. In the 16th century, the Soderini family purchased the property and created a hanging garden inside the top crater. In the 18th century, the mausoleum was acquired by Portuguese Marquis Benedetto Correa de Sylva, who transformed the space into a sort of bullfighting ring. In 1802, the mausoleum became property of the Papal States, and finally in 1873, it became Crown Property of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1907, the inner portion of the monument was converted into a concert hall, known as the Augusteo. It seated around 3,500 people. In 1936, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini closed the mausoleum and ordered that it be restored to an archeological site. Mussolini in some ways saw himself as the “Augustus” of the new age, and he may have thought that the mausoleum would be a good resting place for himself. It isn't known exactly what the Mausoleum of Augustus looked like, but we have a pretty good idea. This is in large part thanks to writings by Strabo of Amasya, (63/64 BCE - 24 CE), a Greek geographer of the time who saw the monument and wrote about it in his book, Geography. The neglect of the mausoleum—closed to the public, overgrown with vegetation, and used as a dumping ground for litter -- attracted criticism, especially after the opening of the Ara Pacis museum across the street in 2006. A restoration began in 2017 but the mausoleum is still closed at this time. Hopefully the restoration will be completed; Augustus is worthy of a showpiece mausoleum.

Aerial view of the Mausoleum of Augustas.

Artist conception of the Mausoleum back in the day.

Another Artist's Conception.

Continuing on, we came to the Piazza del Popolo.

We stopped to smell the roses.

On each side of the piazza to the east and west stand fountains created by Giovanni Ceccarini (1822–23), with matching compositions of a central figure flanked by two attendant figures. On the west side is The Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune).

And on the east side is the Fontana della Dea di Roma. This statue shows the center figure Dea Roma (Rome) armed with lance and helmet, and in front is the she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus. In the background is the Pincio Terrace which offers great views over the Piazza del Popolo and Vatican City.

In the center of Piazza del Popolo is a tall obelisk that was brought to Rome by Augustus after he conquered Egypt.

The Piazza del Popolo obelisk once graced the temple of Ramses II in Heliopolis, Egypt and the Roman Circus Maximus racetrack. It was brought here in 1589 as one of the square's beautification projects.

Lion fountain at the base of the obelisk.

At the edge of the Piazza del Popolo are the "twin" churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto (left, built 1662–75) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right, built 1675–79). The Via del Corso exits between the two churches. and runs straight north-south all the way to Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forum. On the left is Santa Maria in Montesanto Basilica, one of the twin churches on the Piazza del Popolo, known to honor artists. On the right is Chiesa Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Domed Renaissance church founded on the site of a medieval miracle attributed to the Virgin Mary. Inside one, look for Raphael's Chigi Chapel and two paintings by Caravaggion.

A better shot of the two churches with the Via del Corso between them. Photo by Patrick Landy on Wikipedia.

This vast oval square of Piazza del Popolo marks the traditional north entrance to Rome. From ancient times until the advent of trains and airplanes, this was just about any visitor's first look at Rome. Below was once the Porta Flaminia of ancient Rome, and is now called the Porta del Popolo. It passes through the third-century Aurelian Wall.

Aerial view of the Piazza del Popolo. Photo by DellaGherardesca off Wikipedia. Though the name Piazza del Popolo means "Square of the People" (and it is a popular hangout), the word was probably derived from the Latin populus, after the poplar trees that once stood here. ... Rick Steves


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May 19, 2024 - Classic Italy Walking Rome (Again)

May 19, 2024 - Classic Italy
Walking Rome (Again)