# Ara Pacis (Altar of Augustan Peace), Rome

> The Ara Pacis is a marble altar consecrated in 9 BC to celebrate Emperor Augustus's return and the peace he brought. Its carved procession of the imperial family is a masterpiece of Roman sculpture. It stands in a glass museum pavilion by the Tiber; tickets are about €13–15, it opens daily around 9:30–19:30, and a visit takes 45–60 minutes.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 47/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: ≈ €13–15; free on the first Sunday of the month
- Opening hours: ≈ 9:30–19:30 daily
- VR show: Seasonal evening sessions of 'Ara com'era'
- Time needed: 45–60 minutes
- Nearby: The Mausoleum of Augustus, across the road
- Location: Lungotevere in Augusta; 10 minutes from Flaminio or Spagna metro
- Coordinates: 41.90639, 12.47556
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **13 BC** — the Senate commissioned the altar for Augustus's return (source: English Wikipedia)
- **9 BC** — the altar was consecrated (source: English Wikipedia)
- **≈ 11 × 10 m** — size of the marble enclosure (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Procession** — the south side shows Augustus, Agrippa and the imperial family (source: English Wikipedia)
- **2006** — Richard Meier's pavilion opened (source: English Wikipedia)

## Ara Pacis tickets and hours

The **Ara Pacis Museum** opens **daily from about 9:30 to 19:30**. Tickets cost roughly **€13–15**, more during exhibitions, and entry is free on the first Sunday of the month. It's rarely crowded, so booking ahead isn't usually needed. In season, evening sessions of the VR show **'Ara com'era'** are ticketed separately — check the museum's site for times.

## What is the Ara Pacis?

The **Senate** commissioned the **Altar of Augustan Peace** in **13 BC**, when **Augustus** returned from Spain and Gaul, and it was consecrated in **9 BC**. It honoured Pax, goddess of peace: after decades of turmoil a long peace had begun, and Augustus made it the central message of his reign.

It's a rectangular marble enclosure about **11 by 10 metres** with the altar inside, its walls covered in **reliefs** that represent the peak of Augustan sculpture — a procession, allegories and exquisite plant ornament. Originally all of it was painted.

## The reliefs

Two **processions** run along the long outer walls. On the south side walk **Augustus** in a wreath, priests, his friend and son-in-law **Agrippa**, his wife **Livia** and the family with their children — one toddler tugs at an adult's toga, another glances back. It's among the first Roman artworks to depict real people rather than gods. Senators and magistrates fill the north side.

Flanking the doorways are mythological scenes: **Aeneas** making a sacrifice, the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, and **Tellus**, Mother Earth, with babies and animals, a symbol of peacetime plenty. Below runs a delicate acanthus frieze teeming with birds, snakes and lizards.

## How it was rebuilt

Buried over the centuries, the altar's fragments surfaced from the 16th century onwards beneath palaces on Via in Lucina, and some panels ended up in Florence, the Vatican and the Louvre. Early 20th-century excavations recovered what survived, casts filled the gaps, and in **1938** it was reassembled beside the Mausoleum of Augustus.

In **2006** it was enclosed in a bright new pavilion by American architect **Richard Meier** — the first major modern building in Rome's historic centre — whose glass walls protect the marble and look out over the Tiber.

## What to look for

- **The imperial procession** — south wall, with children and Agrippa.
- **Tellus panel** — east side, the allegory of peace and abundance.
- **Aeneas sacrificing** — west side, by the main entrance.
- **Acanthus frieze** — the lower band, full of tiny creatures.
- **The altar inside** — you can climb the steps into the enclosure.
- **Res Gestae** — Augustus's account of his deeds, carved on the outside of the pavilion.
- **Exhibitions** — temporary shows in the pavilion's lower level.

> **The VR show** In season, evening sessions with VR and AR headsets show the reliefs regaining their original colours while the Augustan Campus Martius rises around you. Session times and prices are on the museum's website.

## How to get to the Ara Pacis

1. Metro line A to **Flaminio** or **Spagna** — about 10 minutes on foot.
2. Buses 70, 81 and 628 stop on the Lungotevere or Piazza Augusto Imperatore.
3. From [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo), 7 minutes along Via di Ripetta.
4. The [Mausoleum of Augustus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/mausoleum-of-augustus) is right opposite.

## Is the Ara Pacis worth it?

Yes, for anyone interested in ancient sculpture — it's one of the finest Roman works and rarely busy. The museum is small, so an hour is enough. Pair it with the Mausoleum of Augustus across the road and a stroll to Piazza del Popolo.

## Before you go

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Buy tickets online
- [ ] Check the evening VR show schedule
- [ ] Find the children in the south-side procession
- [ ] Read the Res Gestae on the pavilion wall
- [ ] See the Mausoleum of Augustus opposite

## Rome's museums: compare and choose

Museums in Rome rated by YesGo.

- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20
- [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26
- [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €13–15
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €18
- [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €25
- [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Galleria Doria Pamphilj](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/doria-pamphilj) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €16–18
- [Palazzo Farnese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-farnese) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid, booking only
- [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15
- [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15
- [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €12
- [Palazzo Massimo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-massimo) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket
- [MAXXI](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/maxxi) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €12–15
- [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–18

## Augustus on the Campus Martius

The Ara Pacis in Meier's pavilion, the Mausoleum of Augustus opposite, then up Via di Ripetta to Piazza del Popolo.

1. [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €13–15
2. [Mausoleum of Augustus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/mausoleum-of-augustus) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · ≈ €5, booking
3. [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free

## Don't mix it up

The Ara Pacis isn't the Altare della Patria — that's the Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia. The Ara Pacis is an ancient monument from the 1st century BC.

## Tips

- Rarely crowded — take your time with the reliefs.
- The children are in the south-side procession.
- Evening VR sessions show the original colours.
- The Mausoleum of Augustus is right opposite.

## Questions

### How much are Ara Pacis tickets?

About €13–15; free on the first Sunday of the month.

### What are the opening hours?

Roughly 9:30–19:30 daily.

### What is the Ara Pacis?

A marble altar of 9 BC celebrating Augustus's return and the peace of his reign, famous for its reliefs.

### Where is the Ara Pacis?

On Lungotevere in Augusta, opposite the Mausoleum of Augustus, 10 minutes from Flaminio metro.

### Who is shown on the Ara Pacis?

Augustus, Agrippa, Livia and the imperial family, plus Aeneas, Romulus and Remus and the goddess Tellus.

### How long do you need?

45–60 minutes.

## How we checked

History, reliefs and pavilion from English Wikipedia. Price, hours and VR schedule weren't confirmed on the museum site at the time of checking — hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- Museo dell'Ara Pacis (Rome municipal museums)
- English Wikipedia, Ara Pacis

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