If you were living in Rome 2,000 years ago, you would now be very, very old. The altar was built in 9 B.C. The structure consists of a long, single-story glazed loggia elevated above a shallow podium providing a transparent barrier between the embankment of the Tiber and the existing circular perimeter of the mausoleum of Augustus, built circa 28 B.C. On December 12, 2009, a group of activists of Earth First!, during the Copenhagen Summit, colored the water of the fountain green and affixed on the side facing Via Tomacelli a banner saying "Earth First! As of 2006, the structure has been housed in a new museum designed by Architect Richard Meier. The altar was relocated from the Campo Marzio in 1938 during the Mussolini era, and a system of regulating lines was applied to the project to relate the altar’s present position to its original site. Presently the underpass design seems innactive. The Museum of the Ara Pacis belongs to the Sistema dei Musei in Comune of Rome ; it houses the Ara Pacis of Augustus, an ancient monument that was initially inaugurated on January 30, 9 B.C. Building materials include glass and concrete and an indigenous fine beige Roman travertine. Museo dell’Ara Pacis: (Ara Pacis Museum, Rome) (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) The "new" Ara Pacis Museum in Rome opened in the spring of 2006. This museum on the banks of the River Tiber has been designed for the Ara Pacis, a sacrificial altar dating back to the year 9 BC. The Museo dell’Ara Pacis is an archaeological museum in Rome that houses the monumental altar dedicated to the Peace goddess it is named after, dating back to the 1st century BC. Ara Pacis Museum. The asymmetrical entry hall, defined by seven slender columns in reinforced concrete finished with white waxed marble plaster, leads to the main hall, which houses the Ara Pacis. Date built: 2006. Ara Pacis Rome Museum, Augustae Building Photos, Architect, Richard Meier Italy Design. Bisecting the distance between the present center of the mausoleum and the original site yielded a four-square urban grid that was used as a proportional frame to reorganize the piazza and its surroundings. The current museum was completed in 2006 after a design by American architect Richard Meier. It is an actual altar dedicated to Octavian Augustus, in the accepted meaning of divinity, and was originally located in an area of Campo Marzio consecrated to … Ara Pacis Museum – Richard Meier & Partners Architects. Ara Pacis today. The museum showcases the Emperor Augustus’s amazing ‘Altar of Peace’ wrapped inside a magnificent travertine and glass blanket designed by contemporary architectural maestro Richard Meier. The Ara Pacis is composed of an enclosure almost squared with marble, elevated on a low podium; inside, above a staircase, it stands the altar real. [3], The building, designed by architect Richard Meier, was inaugurated and opened to the public after seven years of works, on April 21, 2006 (the anniversary of the traditional date of the foundation of Rome). The Ara Pacis Museum is the first work of modern architecture in the Historic Center of Rome since the 1930’s. The museum complex envelopes the Ara Pacis in a safe and perfectly suited space, furnished with the most advanced media and display technologies. Learn how to create your own. A member of the Priestly college (association) of Septemviri epulones, carries an incense box, processional scene (north side), Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustan Peace) 9 B.C.E. Particularly related to this effect, are the first two rooms of the building. Senators, officials and the Imperial family are depicted on the wall reliefs of the monument in an … The white color is a hallmark of Richard Meier's work, while the travertine plates decorating part of the building reflect design changes (aluminum surfaces were initially planned), that came after a design review to consider controversies where nostalgia arose for the previous pavilion that was built on the site in 1938 by the architect Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo. The contrast between the subdued lighting of the entrance space and the expansive top-lit and rigorously symmetrical main hall encourages a naturally progressive circulation. [4], During the night of May 31, 2009, unknown persons defaced the white outer wall with green and red paint and placed a toilet bowl at the foot of the wall.[5]. ", "Ara Pacis Dampened by Leaky Roof - Archaeology Magazine", Photographic documentation about the Museum of the Ara Pacis, Boncompagni Ludovisi Decorative Art Museum, Museo Storico Nazionale dell'Arte Sanitaria, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Museum_of_the_Ara_Pacis&oldid=995342155, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Maria José Strazzulla. Planned as part of an effort to protect Rome’s cultural legacy, the new structure replaces the monument’s previous enclosure, which was in a state of advanced decay. 2009. The Ara Pacis, a more than 2,000 year old "Altar of Peace" that was used (paradoxically) for sacrifices, is a commanding work of Roman art and architecture that had been lost to civilization for centuries. Staff members had to use buckets to remove water from the top of the altar. The museum space designed by architect Richard Meier modulates the contrast between light and shadow. Design: Richard Meier Architects, New York City, NY, USA. Nonetheless, opinion was not unanimous at all[7] and, for instance, Achille Bonito Oliva praised Meier's design. In the 1930s it was moved and housed within a protective shell on the banks of the Tiber River. Ara Pacis Museum. The Ara Pacis Augustae (Latin, "Altar of Augustan Peace"; commonly shortened to Ara Pacis) is an altar in Rome dedicated to Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace. No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the glorious Ara Pacis Museum, where the ancient and contemporary worlds collide. [10], Media related to Ara Pacis museum (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons, Non si abbatterà il muretto dell'Ara Pacis arriva lo stop della soprintendenza, "Ara Pacis Museum / Richard Meier & Partners", "The Meier project - Museo dell'Ara Pacis", "ARCHITECTURE REVIEW - ARA PACIS MUSEUM An Oracle of Modernism in Ancient Rome", "Vandals Attack Museum in Center of Rome", "War and Peace: Housing the Ara Pacis in the Eternal City", "Il progetto di Richard Meier per l'Ara Pacis a Roma: perché si! "War and Peace: Housing the Ara Pacis in the Eternal City. Ara Pacis Museum . The expected of the Ara Pacis was rebuilt thanks to the testimony of sources and studies during the excavations, as well as representations of Roman coins. In the museum you can learn more about the background of all the reliefs, which include Augustus, the senate, the people, the goddess Roma and Romulus and Remus. Ara Pacis Museum Rome. The clarity of the volumes and the building’s proportions relate in scale to Rome’s ancient structures. An artificial obelisk is used as a historical reference on the north-south axis through the altar. History and architecture – from the Roman altar to the 1938 pavilion The first fragments of the Ara Pacis were brought to light in 1568. Designed by Richard Meier Architects, Ara Pacis Museum in Rome has a discreet transparent architecture that respects the urban context. It initially was protected by a pavilion but in 2006 got its current, very modern Richard Meier designed building. [9], During one of his first declarations after being elected Mayor of Rome (April 2008), Gianni Alemanno announced his intention to remove Meier's building, on the grounds that the Roman right wing had always disapproved. Originally located on the northern outskirts of Rome, a Roman mile from the boundary of the pomerium on the west side of the Via Flaminia, the Ara Pacis stood in the northeaste… The altar of pease is the monument that commemorates the victories of Augustus and symbolizes the establishment of peace in the Roman Empire (the “Pax”, a particularly vital concept during the reign of Augustus) after about one hundred years of wars.. History. The Ara Pacis Augustae is an altar dedicated to the Roman goddess of peace: Pax. Designed by the American architect Richard Meier and built in steel, travertine, glass and plaster, the museum is the first great architectural and urban intervention in the historic centre of Rome since the Fascist era. Although housing and protecting the ancient altar was the main focus of this museum, the building also provides space for temporary exhibitions and installations dedicated to archaeological themes and a state-of-the-art digital library of Augustan culture. A predominating feature of the new building is a glass curtain wall measuring 150 feet long and 40 feet high. The Museum of the Ara Pacis (Italian: Museo dell'Ara Pacis) belongs to the Sistema dei Musei in Comune of Rome (Italy); it houses the Ara Pacis of Augustus, an ancient monument that was initially inaugurated on January 30, 9 B.C. The Ara Pacis Museum is the first work of modern architecture in the Historic Center of Rome since the 1930’s. This map was created by a user. This museum on the bank of the Tiber River has been designed as a renewed setting for the Ara Pacis, a sacrificial altar dating to 9 B.C. The modern designed space, well-lit with stunning windows and glass roof, boasts a full array of models, portrait busts, video reconstructions and VR google views of the … An outdoor roof terrace above the auditorium functions as an essential part of the circulation of the museum and includes a contiguous bar and café with views over the Mausoleum of Augustus to the east and the Tiber River to the west. 17 Feb 2008. The roof over the main hall rests on four columns with skylights to maximize natural lighting and to eliminate “false shadows.” Outside the main structure, a low travertine wall extending from within the main hall traces the ancient shore of the Tiber River. The officers and the employees of the museum intervened immediately, removing the banner and emptying the fountain. Planned as part of an The new museum complex for the Ara Pacis was designed by Richard Meier & Partners Architects, an architectural studio in the United States, which has been responsible for several of the most notable museums of the second half of the twentieth century. The Ara Pacis Museum rises between a roadway that runs along the Tiber and the enormous weed-encrusted drum of the ancient mausoleum of Augustus … Museo dell’Ara Pacis: Contemporary Roman Building, Italy – design by Richard Meier Architect. ", This page was last edited on 20 December 2020, at 14:38. This museum on the bank of the Tiber River has been designed as a renewed setting for the Ara Pacis, a sacrificial altar dating to 9 B.C. Although the Ara Pacis is one of the most significant monuments of Ancient Rome, it is the only thing that is exhibited in the interior of the museum, making an entrance ticket quite expensive. In its completed form, the complex is intended to have a pedestrian path allowing a direct connection to the Tiber, via an underpass. The Museum of the Ara Pacis (Italian: Museo dell'Ara Pacis) belongs to the Sistema dei Musei in Comune of Rome (Italy); it houses the Ara Pacis of Augustus, an ancient monument that was initially inaugurated on January 30, 9 B.C. The altar, which has not been moved from its original location, has been protected during construction and will be unveiled for the first time in six years on 22 September, 2005 on the occasion of the Emperor Augustus’s birthday. and now located on the western edge of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. At the turn of the 21st century, along with advancements in architectural … Architect Richard Meier's Ara Pacis Museum is the only major contemporary structure to have been built in the historic center of Rome since World War II. This museum on the bank of the Tiber River has been designed as a renewed setting for the Ara Pacis, a sacrificial altar dating to 9 B.C. The Ara Pacis is an exciting example of Roman sculpture in the early times. Completed in 2006 in Rome, Italy. The Ara Pacis is one of the finest sculptural creations from the reign of Augustus, and its level of preservation is remarkable. The Ara Pacis museum (or Museum of the Ara Pacis) is a museum in Rome that houses the Ara Pacis of Augustus, an ancient monument that was initially inaugurated on January 30, 9 B.C. The altar, which has not been moved from its original location, has been protected during construction and will be unveiled for the first time in six years on 22 September, 2005 on the occasion of the Emperor Augustus’s birthday. Act Now". The Ara Pacis Augustae or Altar of the Augustan Peace in Rome was built to celebrate the return of Augustus in 13 BCE from his campaigns in Spain and Gaul.The marble structure, which once stood on the Campus Martius, is a masterpiece of Roman sculpture and, in particular, of portraiture. Details of Ara Pacis. It is best to look at the altar from the outside, as the building that contains it is made of glass. Overlooking the Tiber River is the Ara Pacis Museum, which houses the eponymous Altar of Peace. The new Ara Pacis Museum is housed within a building by contemporary architect Richard Meier, completed in 2006.It displays the Ara Pacis Augusti, wich the Museum building encases, together with reliefs and documents dealing with the history of the Ara. The altar of "Ara Pacis" is very detailed and consists of Carrara marble and is a masterpiece of Roman sculpture. [6] The New York Times judged it a flop, while the famous art critic and polemicist Vittorio Sgarbi called it, "A Texas gas station in the very earth of one of the most important urban centres in the world", and the first step towards an "internationalisation" of the city of Rome. The building has attracted conflicting opinions. [8], In November 2013 a faulty roof allowed water to leak into the building during heavy rain. Ara Pacis means Altar of Peace, this museum is honoured with the tomb of emperor Augustus in white gleaming marble walls,discovered eight meters under grounds in a park; It is a massive Mausoleum of Augustus, the bural place of the emperor and his family is in this park, a peaceful ring of cypresses and paths; the museo of Ara Pacis is now enclosed in a large purpose-built structure Lungotevere, … and now located on the western edge of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. Interior, main hall with altar; travertine benches by glass curtain wall; In 1938 Benito Mussolini built a protective building for the Altar, as it had been reconstructed by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, near the Mausoleum of Augustus (moving the Altar in the process) as part of his attempt to glorify Fascist Italy. The Ara Pacis, originally constructed in 9 BC, as an altar to peace, was uncovered in the 16th century. The Ara Pacis is the most famous and best preserved sculptural monument from Ancient Rome of the Augustan age. The museum was designed by the international architect Richard Meier and has been subject to much controversy and criticism. The Richard Meier designed Ara Pacis Museum Buildings surround the mausoleum of Augustus were razed and the Ara Pacis was placed in its current location. However, Alemanno himself later pointed out that the removal was not a priority of his administration. 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. Wide glazed surfaces allow the viewer to admire the Ara Pacis with uniform lighting conditions.[2]. Meier's ambitious project imposes itself into the heart of the city, becoming a nerve center and exchange center. Inside this contemporary museum, located between the Roman Hills and the Tiber River, just 10 minutes far from the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, there’s the Ara Pacis, an altar dedicated to the Roman Goddess of Peace. The Ara Pacis Museum The Ara Pacis Augustae ( Augustan Altar to Peace ) is one of the symbolic places of Augustan power. The new museum complex for the Ara Pacis was designed by Richard Meier & Partners Architects, an architectural studio in the United States, which has been responsible for several of the most notable museums of the second half of the twentieth century. 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