This huge drum-shaped mausoleum stands at the north end of the Campus Martius. It was constructed in 28 BC by Augustus, either as a personal mausoleum or possibly to serve his dynasty in general. This was the first of Augustus' great constructions in the development of the Campus Martius. Originally faced with marble, we are left with the brick core of the building. In its original form, the mausoleum would have consisted of several tiers, perhaps planted with trees or decorated with columns or statues, and summounted by a statue of the emperor himself. Inside, the entrance corridor led to a circular passage that surrounded a central core (more likely a rubble-filled support than a chamber). Other chambers lead off the circular corridor into the sides of the drum. Since the days of Imperial Rome, the mausoleum has served as a fortress, a garden and a concert hall. It is widely held that the 'res gestae' (or catalogue of life's work) of Augustus was placed outside the entrance on two huge bronze plaques. Despite the mausoleum being constructed by and for Augustus, the first funeral urn to be buried here was that of Marcellus, followed by Augustus' grandsons, Gaius and Lucius. Augustus became the fourth person to be interred here, followed by his wife Livia, then Tiberius, Agrippina the elder, Drusus and the elder Nero, with the last to be laid to rest here being Nerva.

Access: Standing in the Piazza Augusto Imperatore, access is somewhat irregular. On my first visit, the gate was manned and open with an entrance fee. On my recent trip there was no sign of public opening at all. Ther exterior is clearly visible in any case.

Following the form of the earlier mausoleum of Augustus Hadrian, a century and a half later, constructed a similar monument on the opposite bank of the river. This drum shaped mausoleum first received the ashes of Hadrian, and after him all the Antonine emperors and their families. Whether Marcus Aurelius was buried here or in the column that bears his name after the fashion of Trajan is not known. Certainly beyond the Antonines, the Severan dynasty were also buried here. The drum mausoleum has been faced with marble and covered in marble statues. Certainly by the 500s the mausoleum had already become a fortress within the city's defensive system and during the attack of the Goths in 537 AD, the marbled statues are recorded to have been thrown down on the invaders. The gradual change from tomb to fortress to fortified Papal residence has changed the appearance of the mausoleum, though the main core can still be seem within the castle and numerous fragments can be found around and within. Inside the drum a huge spiral passage winds from the lowest level up to what would once have been the level of gardens. The current statue on the summit of the angel Michael comes from St Gregory the Great who in 590 AD had a vision of the archangel sheathing his sword above the structure.

Access: Now the Castel Sant Angelo, the mausoleum is open to tourists daylight hours for an entry fee.

Standing on the north side of the Via Prenestina only three quarters of a mile from the Porta Maggiore is one of Rome's largest mausolea and one of it's least known sights. The huge drum mausoleum that follows much the same form as the mausolea of Augustus and Hadrian. We have no reference to the rough date of construction, though a date during the Principate seems likely. We also have no information as to the builder or occupant. The tomb only came to light during the demolition of buildings after world war two in order to improve the Via Prenestina. Like that of Hadrian, this mausoleum was fortified during the middle ages and it is from that use that the modern name derives.

Access: The monument is in a very small park or garden on the Via Prenestina and can be reached easily by a number 5 or 14 tram from Termini.