Mausoleum of Augustus: how to book a visit to the imperial tomb

The Mausoleum of Augustus, in piazza Augusto Imperatore, is the tomb that Rome's first emperor had built from 28 BC. At about 87 metres in diameter, it is the largest known circular tomb of antiquity. It later served as a fortress, a garden, an arena and a concert hall before being cleared in the 1930s, then reopened in 2021 after fourteen years of closure. In October 2026, access is suspended because of works on the square in front of the monument, with a reopening announced for the end of the year but no confirmed date: check before you come. The visit is by reservation only, with a guide, and lasts about 50 minutes.

Highlights

The mound and its cypresses

The monument is a great cylinder of masonry, once crowned by a tree-planted mound topped with a statue of Augustus. Seen from outside, it keeps the look of a large brick bastion ringed by cypresses, sunk below the level of today's square.

The corridors and the burial chamber

Inside, ring-shaped corridors surround the central core where the urns of Augustus and several members of his family were placed. The emperor's ashes were laid there in AD 14. The route includes many flights of ramps and stairs, which limit access for visitors with reduced mobility to the central area.

The Res Gestae

In front of the entrance stood two bronze pillars bearing the account of Augustus's achievements, the Res Gestae. The pillars are lost, but the text is known from copies found in present-day Turkey, and it is reproduced on a wall of the neighbouring Ara Pacis museum.

A monument with many lives

Colonna family stronghold in the Middle Ages, garden in the Renaissance, performance arena, then concert hall (the Augusteo) in the early 20th century: the monument had many uses before being isolated by the Fascist regime, which laid out the present square around it.

Our guides that feature it

Practical info · 4 min read

Which tickets to book before going to Rome, and how far ahead

In Rome not everything needs booking, but a few sites cannot be visited without a ticket bought in advance:...

Top lists & comparisons · 4 min read

Ancient Rome: the sites to see beyond the Colosseum

The Colosseum is only one part of ancient Rome. Around it, dozens of sites tell a thousand years of Roman h...

Neighborhood guides · 5 min read

The Tridente: guide to the district between Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo

The Tridente is the trident-shaped district that opens out in the north of Rome from Piazza del Popolo, bet...

Nearby

See on the map →

Ara Pacis Museum: Augustus's Altar of Peace, opening hours and tickets The Ara Pacis Museum, on Lungotevere in Augusta, houses the Altar of Peace that the... 0 min walk

Shopping in Rome: Via Condotti, Via del Corso, sales and tax-free Rome's shopping district forms a triangle between the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo... 5 min walk

Piazza del Popolo: twin churches, Caravaggio and the Pincio Piazza del Popolo is the large oval square at Rome's northern entrance, designed by... 6 min walk

Keats-Shelley House: the Romantic poets' museum on the Spanish Steps The Keats-Shelley House is the ochre building at number 26 that closes the bottom of... 7 min walk