The Augusteum is located to the right of the Mensa Ponderaria in Tivoli, a short distance from the city’s Cathedral. It is also known by the name Sacello di Augusto.
Augusteum Tivoli
Address, opening hours and entrance fee
Address Via Aldo Moro – 00019 Tivoli (RM). Tel. +39 0774 4531.
History and description
An Augusteum was a building dedicated to the emperor in Roman times. The name was obviously derived from Emperor Augustus.
Not much remains of the Augusteum of Tivoli other than a room with a circular back wall. This room was used for the worship of Emperor Augustus in the days when emperors were still granted divine powers.
Like the Mensa Ponderaria, the Augusteum was built towards the end of the 1st century BC. This was also done with financial help from Marus Varenus Diphilus, as an inscription indicates.
The walls of the room are painted with floral motifs. In the mcenter of the room is a statue of a seated Augustus, whose head has unfortunately been lost.
A separate, large head has also been found that probably used to be part of a statue of Emperor Nerva.
Before the Mensa Ponderaria and the Augusteum were built, there were already some structures in the same spot. It is probably because of this that the two spaces are characterized by irregular dimensions.