The ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus are now surrounded
by the modern buildings of Piazza Augusto Imperatore which was laid
out in 1940. The Mausoleum was one of the most sacred monuments
in antiquity, and It was built between 28 and 23BC. The monument
took the form of a circular building with two obelisks at the entrance.
The funeral chamber was reserved for the Emperor; round it was a
series of chambers for the other members of the Julian-Claudia family.