The monumental tomb of Rome's first
emperor, Augustus, is to return to "iconic" status after decades
of neglect, Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi said in unveiling a
six-million-euro project funded by telecoms giant Tim.
The refurbishment, which will end in a grand reopening in
April 2019, will include 3-D effects and the restoration of the
13,000 square metres of a monument that is even bigger than the
famed Castel Sant-Angelo, built over the tomb of a later
emperor, Hadrian.
The project represents a "model of public and private
collaboration we hope will become a model," said Raggi.
While the project is going ahead, some "special" visits will
be possible by small groups, Raggi said.
And when the ribbon is cut two years from now entry will
"hopefully" be free, the mayor said.
The mausoleum, built by Augustus in 28 BC, was plundered by
the Visigoths before falling into disrepair.
Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini restored it but after the
was it was progressively abandoned and the surrounding Piazza
Augusto Imperatore gradually became a rundown area strewn with
rubbish and drug addicts' needles.
It has been cleaned up somewhat in recent years.
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