Mensa Ponderaria di Tivoli
Ancient Roman public weighing station in the forum of Tibur, with the neighbouring Augusteum; open only on a guided educational visit.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Mensa Ponderaria was the public weighing station in the forum of ancient Tibur, today’s Tivoli. The building, probably dating from the Augustan age, was discovered by chance in 1883. It is one of the rare cases in which its function as a public weighing station can be identified with certainty, thanks to two marble mensae with concave hollows of different sizes, intended to hold the official reference weights and measures.
An adjoining room, discovered in 1920, was most probably dedicated to the worship of the emperor and is therefore called the Augusteum. An inscription records the person who set up the fittings, the freedman Marcus Varenus Difilus, magister of the guild of the Herculanei, a wealthy and powerful association linked to the cult of Hercules.
The site is one of the places managed by the Istituto Villa Adriana e Villa d’Este and lies in Piazza del Duomo, next to the cathedral. According to some scholars, a schola gladiatorum (gladiator school) must also have stood nearby, although no traces of it have been found.
Highlights
- Two marble mensae with hollows for the official weights and measures
- Rare Roman public weighing station of the Augustan age, identified with certainty
- Augusteum, a room probably dedicated to the worship of the emperor
- Inscription of the freedman Marcus Varenus Difilus, magister of the Herculanei
Permanent exhibition
- Mensa Ponderaria e Augusteum – Roman public weighing station of the forum of Tibur with two marble mensae and an adjoining room dedicated to imperial worship.
- Operated by
- Istituto Villa Adriana e Villa d'Este
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
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The standard ticket including the educational visit costs €7. The site is also included in the Villae Pass combined ticket (Villa Adriana, Villa d’Este, Santuario di Ercole Vincitore, Mensa Ponderaria).
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The educational visit with fixed start is compulsory for entry. Bookings through CoopCulture: +39 06 3996 7900, prenotazioni@coopculture.it. |
