Rome (AFP)

Fallen into the dungeons of history although located in the heart of Rome, the colossal Mausoleum of Augustus, adopted son of Julius Caesar and founder of the Roman Empire, reopened this week to the public, rushed immediately despite the pandemic.

"Until now we have always known it in ruins, but in reality it is one of the most important monuments of antiquity", explains Alessia, a masked guide with long red hair, leading a small group of visitors in the labyrinth of this massive edifice made up of five concentric enclosures.

"He was so majestic, in Rome we had never seen anything like this," exclaims the young woman, pointing to the tall speakers.

In the center of the mausoleum, originally clad in white marble and travertine, a burial chamber was reserved for the emperor and his wife Livia, and all around other rooms were intended for members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

The mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi was delighted to see "a masterpiece of ancient Roman times, a treasure of inestimable value, reborn in all its splendor", while the Romans have so far ironically nicknamed "the decayed tooth "the poor monument, half collapsed and overgrown with weeds.

- Arena for buffaloes -

The mausoleum has in fact known a tormented history: after the fall of the Roman Empire, it became a fortress in the Middle Ages, an Italian garden in the Renaissance, an arena for bulls and buffalos, a prestigious hall of concert from 1908, where the famous conductor Arturo Toscanini performed.

In the 1930s, he was finally rehabilitated for political purposes by order of Mussolini, who wanted to place his fascist regime in the footsteps of the empire.

At the end of these multiple adventures, only 30% of the original building remains today, but Alessia wants to be optimistic: "Thanks to the rehabilitation of the square (in front of the monument, whose base is today at seven meters below ground level), we will realize better, the mausoleum will be more visible and it will finally manage to get the attention it deserves! "

In fact, the work is not yet completely finished, as evidenced by the crane overhanging the site and the dozens of workers bustling about like tiny ants at the foot of the majestic site, probably inspired by the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria in Egypt and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (in present-day Turkey), which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Gianluca Carli, a 38-year-old Roman, was already won over at the end of his visit: "It is a great emotion, as a Roman in love with his city, to take back possession of part of my heritage".

"I feel a bit like the guardian of this city, so to be able to set foot in such a mausoleum, so beautiful, so large ..." enthuses this masked bearded man, who like all the other visitors had to undergo a control temperature at the entrance to the site, Covid requires.

While Rome is deserted by tourists due to the pandemic, the online ticket reservation site (https://www.mausoleodiaugusto.it/en/), compulsory to avoid crowds of visitors, has now already stormed by the inhabitants of Rome and its region: places are already exhausted until the end of June!

© 2021 AFP