New Ara Pacis Museum Opens!

Make Your Offerings at the Altar of Peace!

After the assassination of Julius Casesar in 44 BC, Gaius Octavius, Caesar's great nephew and heir, fought his way to political and military stardom. The young Roman avenged the death of his uncle and put an end to the civil wars that had ravaged the Roman Empire for decades. As a result, he was considered the most powerful man in the Roman world.

For his achievements, the Romans honored Gaius Octavius in many ways. The Senate awarded him the title of "Augustus" or "Revered One." They also gave him extraordinary political powers, essentially making him Rome's first emperor.

After Augustus achieved military victories in Gaul and Spain, the Senate constructed the Ara Pacis or Altar of Peace to memorialize the peace and prosperity brought to Rome by his victories. Greek artists of the highest skill were commissioned to carve practically every surface of the Ara Pacis with images that evoked the benefits of Augustus's reign.

From portraits of Augustus and his family to images of the gods and goddesses that blessed the city, the Ara Pacis was a visible testament to the idea that Augustus had reawakened the Golden Age.

To learn more about the Ara Pacis and its meaning (and to get ready for the unveiling of the new Ara Pacis museum on 21 April 2006), check out our newest slide show.

The iDC's Ara Pacis Slide Show

A New Home for Saint Peter!

Construction on St Peter's Basilica Began 500 Years Ago!

On 18 April 1506, Pope Julius II traded his papal tiara for a hard hat and climbed into a foundation trench to lay the cornerstone for a new basilica honoring St. Peter. Three years into his reign, the Pontiff had decided that the old basilica - constructed by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century - was too decrepit to stand any longer.

Julius II asked his architect Bramante to design a new Basilica and Bramante was pleased to oblige. In true Renaissance spirit, he proposed a building that combined the colossal vaulting of the Basilica of Constantine in the ancient Roman Forum with a dome resembling that of the Pantheon. A medal depicting his proposed building was struck in honor of the project (see right).

It was to be more than one hundred and fifteen years before the church was consecreated and still several decades before the interior was completed.