Museo dell'Ara Pacis

About the museum

The Ara Pacis Augustae is the altar dedicated to Peace, commissioned by the Senate to celebrate Augustus’s return from his campaigns in Spain and Gaul. It was consecrated in 9 BC in the Campo Marzio. The monument is decorated with reliefs of the procession of the imperial family, mythological scenes and plant motifs, and is one of the masterpieces of Augustan art.

The altar disappeared beneath Tiber deposits and the buildings erected over the area. The first fragments were recovered in the 16th century, while systematic recovery came with the excavations of 1938. That year the monument was reassembled and placed in a pavilion near the Mausoleo di Augusto, as part of the celebrations for the bimillennial of Augustus’s birth.

The present museum building, designed by the architect Richard Meier, was inaugurated in 2006 and encloses the altar in a large glass case facing the Tiber. The museum, which is part of the Sistema Musei di Roma Capitale, also houses an auditorium and a space for temporary exhibitions and events, and offers tactile and accessible routes.

Highlights

• Ara Pacis Augustae, marble altar of 9 BC
• Reliefs of the procession of Augustus’s family
• Museum building designed by Richard Meier
• Gallery of plaster busts dedicated to Augustus’s family
• Multimedia experience “L’Ara si rivela” (dedicated ticket)

Permanent exhibition

• Ara Pacis Augustae – The Augustan marble altar, protected by a glass case, with celebratory reliefs and a gallery of plaster busts.

Founded

2006

Operated by

Roma Capitale – Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali

Admission & discounts

Prices refer to the “Solo museo” (museum only) ticket. Admission is free for residents of Rome and the metropolitan area with a document proving residence (since February 2026 an identity card is enough at the ticket office), and for holders of the MIC card (€5, free admission for 12 months to the Sistema Musei di Roma Capitale). Advance purchases online, by phone (060608) or at the ticket office cost €1 more and are non-refundable and non-changeable. For tickets bought at the ticket office on the day of the visit, no advance-sale fee is charged.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The building was designed in 2006 with accessibility features. The museum entrance on the Lungotevere in Augusta and that of the auditorium at Via di Ripetta 190 are at street level, while the exhibition space at Via di Ripetta 180 has a ramp. A lift connects the upper floor with the lower floor (foyer, auditorium, exhibition space), and next to the lift there is an accessible toilet. Wheelchairs are available on request at reception. Reserved parking spaces are located on Lungotevere Prati (near number 22), at Lungotevere dei Mellini 7 and at Via Marianna Dionigi 2. For blind and visually impaired people there are permanent tactile aids, tactile visits with specialist staff on booking (“Visite tattili on demand”) and eight podcasts in Italian and English. For deaf people there is a LIS video station, an LIS video for children and five subtitled video stories.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

Strollers are admitted in the museum. An LIS video for children telling the story of the monument is available.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the Lungotevere in Augusta, at the corner with Via Tomacelli.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

The cloakroom is free and self-service. Large backpacks, umbrellas and pets are not allowed; small dogs in a carrier are admitted.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit