Mausoleum of Augustus

This great circular tomb was raised by the first emperor Augustus around 28 BC as a dynastic burial place for himself and his family, and it remains one of the largest such monuments of the ancient world. Over the centuries its earthen mound was quarried, fortified, and even turned into a concert hall before extensive restoration returned it to public view. Standing in a square near the Tiber, its concentric brick rings and central chamber convey the ambition of the early empire.