November 2006 Archives

Wanted in Rome is reporting the following:

Italian design wins Piazza Augusto Imperatore project.

The city has presented the plans which have won the competition for the second phase of the long-term revamping of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore and its mausoleum...

According to these plans, there will be a large pedestrian area all round the mausoleum, with gardens which descend towards the entrance of the monument, and an eventual complete restoration of the monument itself. Estimated cost of the works is €20 million with a further two million for restoration of the monument itself. Tendering for the contracts will begin in the summer of 2007, and works should be finished by the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009.

The ten projects from the competition will go on display at the Ara Pacis on November 30th.

Here is a detailed scholarly lecture, "Contexts for the Ara Pacis", from 1997 by Minott Kerr, given at Reed College:

The Ara Pacis consists of two parts, a sacrificial altar proper, and the surrounding precinct walls. The almost square enclosure which defines an area of about 35 by 40 roman feet stood on a base and had openings on the east and west sides. The altar complex was entered by a flight of stairs leading to the western opening. The irregular topography of the original site sloped upward toward the east so the opening in the east side of the precinct wall was at the level of the adjacent via Flaminia. Within, the altar proper stood on a stepped base at the center with a second flight of steps at the west leading to the sacrificial table.

More here.

Here is the current Google maps satellite view of the Ara Pacis Museum. It looks like this shot is at least a year old - it appears that the current, new museum is under construction:

You can also plainly see the Mausoleum of Augustus and the two churches (San Girolamo degli Schiavoni and San Rocco) that are directly south of the mausoleum. Part of the criticism of the new museum is that the wall that runs along the Lungotevere (hidden by the trees - it is the road along the Tiber) cuts off the view of these churches from passing motorists and people on the sidewalk.

Here are a couple of websites with some history of the Ara Pacis:

• Wikipedia Ara Pacis page - as too often the case with the Wikepedia, the article is a little thin and a little sketchy on the facts.
• Ara Pacis page maintained by someone at the University of Chicago from "A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome", Oxford University Press, 1929.

Here is the ArcSpace.com website page about the Ara Pacis Museum. This is an architecture based website, and the gist of this article is overall sympathetic to the project and the architect - it doesn't get into the Ara Pacis itself in any detail. It does have some good photos of the museum and architectural models, computer renderings, and elevation drawings though. If you are interested in the building, this site is a good reference and worth checking out.

Here is a really well done website, Images of the Ara Pacis, with detailed text and many photographs of the Ara Pacis. The site appears to be the work of a student at Bluffton University. Unfortunately for her the lighting conditions seemed to be a little less than optimal the day she took her pictures and some of them are just dark overall (you may take photos in the museum but no flash is allowed), but the site is still a great resource.

Rome has a new tourist discount card - the Roma Pass. This 18€ pass is good for 3 days - it gives you free admission for the first 2 museums you visit, with reduced admission on any others after that, and free public transportation for all 3 days. It also comes with a map and a booklet detailing what museums, sites, etc. are eligible. This is an amazing deal - especially if you are staying in Rome for just a few days.

The NY Times reviewed the Ara Pacis Museum in late September 2006. The author levels both scant praise and heavy criticism at the architect - he uses the term "flop" early on. Meier has tried to move the conversation about the shop and the auditorium to the client, the mayor of Rome:

The museum's bloated size was not entirely Mr. Meier's fault; the government client had something to do with it. But he compounds the problem by playing to the piazza's monumentality rather than countering it with the quietness that its pomposity demands.

There is a lot not to like about the building, but unfortunately, in a place as ancient as Rome, this project really never had a chance. You can read the whole article here.

Picture courtesy and property of the NY Times.

If you are coming to Rome and looking for a hotel, Venere.com is the best place to start. They are an Italian company and have the best inventory (over 5,000 hotels!) at great prices, with a very easy to use website that will help you find the hotel you want, in the area you want. Check them out here.

The NY Times has published several articles about the new museum. This one, "Imperial Roman Treasure Gets a Modern Home", first appeared on April 24, 2006:

Since this city was not built in a day, it is perhaps unsurprising that a plan to house Caesar Augustus's Ara Pacis, or altar of peace, in a new museum has taken 10 years to be realized. Romans, after all, feel possessive about their city. And, in this case, the idea of inviting Richard Meier to design a dazzling white modernist building for Rome's historic center was the stuff of heated debate -- and multiple delays.

Rome's mayor, Walter Veltroni, went ahead with its scheduled inauguration on Friday because April 21 was, at least in theory, the city's 2,759th birthday. But even now, work is continuing on the $24 million glass and travertine marble structure, which stands between a busy highway overlooking the River Tiber and the Mausoleum of Augustus. A 300-seat auditorium and a lower-level exhibition space may not be finished before the fall.

The whole article is here - you will need to be a Times Select subscriber to read it though.