Rome - Altar of Peace Ara Pacis Augustae

Must-see attractions nearby: Colosseum Pantheon Trevi Fountain Vatican City Roman Forum Palatine Hill National Museum / Baths Museum

It gives consummate expression to the Imperium Romanum of Augustus, the Roman world empire with its assertion of Roman power, its religious ceremonies, its Imperial house and the institutions on which it was based. The lower part of the screen enclosing the altar, of Carrera marble, is richly decorated with reliefs of foliage ornament (acanthus, ivy, laurel, vines), with birds and reptiles interspersed among the leaves. The upper part is occupied by a sculptured frieze, running round all four sides - mythological scenes on the ends, historical scenes on the long sides. A flight of 10 steps leads up to the platform (11.62x10.60m/38x35ft), in the center of which stands the altar. The altar itself, guarded by lion-sphinxes, was decorated with reliefs (only about a third of which have survived) representing sacrificial ceremonies.