Photo 1: Frieze of the altar of the Ara Pacis, the animals destined for sacrifice to the gods accompanied by priests can be seen in the high relief
Today I take you to Rome to see one of the most beautiful monuments of ancient Rome, or rather what remains of this extraordinary monument for the works it contains. The Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) was built in 9 a. C. to celebrate the victories of the emperor Augustus and for having restored peace in the Roman Empire. Attention, Roman peace was a very different thing (or maybe not) from how we can understand peace now, it was always a victory over the enemy forces that no longer had the possibility to react, so we lived in peace, without war. The monument was built near the banks of the Tiber river with precious marbles and sculptures evocative of the history of Rome, from its birth to the last exploits of the emperor. This monument has had a troubled life. In fact, immediately, the floods of the Tiber brought sand and silt, so much so as to partially cover the monument and cause considerable damage to the sculptures, detaching or ruining them. Then the inevitable abandonment, the construction of other buildings above. In the Middle Ages, like many other Roman buildings, it became a quarry for the extraction of marble for the construction of other buildings. After many archaeological and political vicissitudes (fascism wanted to make it a symbol of Romanism and of the power of Rome over the world), it was decided to move the monument and protect it within a modern structure, also raising a mountain of controversy. To do this it was essential to recover many artifacts scattered throughout Italy and the world, the result of sales, more or less legal or spoils of war. Personally, I really liked the mix of modern and old. The purity of the modern style enhances the ancient lines and sculptures. Now we see this all white marble, but originally the bas-reliefs and high-reliefs sculptures were colored with bright colors as was also used on Roman and Greek temples. In fact, some sculptures still have residues of color, but you have to use a lot of imagination to imagine them as they could have been originally. At the end of the visit, going down the stairs and heading towards the modern part of the museum, we were able to admire a very interesting exhibition on French Impressionism: Rome I love you!
Photo 2: The entrance of the Ara Pacis, (the photo is poor sorry) you notice Romulus and Remus suckled by the she-wolf symbol of Rome, under the gaze of the god Mars father of the twins
Photo 3: on the right panel of the entrance, the sacrifice of Aeneas to the Penates (ancestors). Aeneas fugitive from Troy, son of the goddess Venus, from whom Romulus and Remus descend.
Photo 4: The secondary side of the Ara Pacis with the steps to access it. On the right a panel depicting Rome in the form of a woman.
Photo 5: On the left the panel preserved best of all and represents an allegory of the golden age, a period of prosperity, serenity and peace.
Photo 6: On the long sides the frieze of the procession, where the Emperor Augustus and his family, the priests and other dignitaries of the time are represented.
Photo 7: On the long sides the frieze of the procession, where the Emperor Augustus and his family, the priests and other dignitaries of the time are represented.
Photo 8: A Corner of the Ara Pacis
Photo 9: Ara Pacis
Photo 10: Frieze of the Arapacis
Photo 11: Exterior of the Ara Pacis Museum