Starting May 15, 2026, the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome will introduce a new project to enhance its permanent collection dedicated to the Gallery of Busts. The initiative concerns plaster casts of portraits of the main members of Augustus’ family and includes a series of free podcasts for visitors, available in Italian and English and accessible through QR codes placed next to the captions of the works.
The project is promoted by Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura e al Coordinamento delle iniziative ricondibili allaGiornatadella Memoria, together with the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, with the support of Fondazione Sorgente Group. Podcasts are produced by Foglio Edizioni, while museum services are entrusted to Zètema Progetto Cultura.
The Gallery of the Busts, enriched since 2017 by six casts donated by the Sorgente Group Foundation and derived from originals preserved in its collection, collects the faces of some of the first emperor’s main family members. The new sound path is divided into eight episodes that reconstruct biographical events, political dynamics and personal aspects of the protagonists, from military exploits to family and emotional relationships.
Among the figures explored in depth are Augustus, flanked by his general and friend Agrippa, Marcellus indicated as the designated heir, his grandsons Gaius and Lucius Caesar, sons of Julia, as well as Antonia Minor and his son Germanicus. The fruition system allows autonomous listening directly in the room, complementing the museum visit with in-depth content accessible via mobile device.
“Thanks to the collaboration with Fondazione Sorgente Group, we are enriching the experience of visiting the museum with new in-depth tools designed to make the fruition even more engaging,” stressed Capitoline Superintendent Claudio Parisi Presicce. “No longer just a gallery of faces but a living narrative, capable of restoring identity, role and importance to the characters in the Augustan age. A path that accompanies visitors in their observation of the monument, inviting them to recognize its presences and discover, detail by detail, its meaning and history.”
“Telling the stories of Augustus’ heirs brings the public closer to imperial dynastic history and dynamics with greater participation,” said Valter Mainetti, chairman of Fondazione Sorgente Group. “The plaster portraits, faithful copies from the marble originals of the Augustan age, are a valuable testimony and scientific documentation and give the possibility to bring together in one place works preserved in different museum institutions.”
“The imperial dynasty of the Julio-Claudian gens has always been a protagonist in our cultural activities and acquisition choices,” continued Paola Mainetti, vice president of Fondazione Sorgente Group. “The collaboration with the Capitoline Superintendence and the Ara Pacis Museum has seen the realization of numerous exhibition projects. We thank Superintendent Claudio Parisi Presicce for this trust and esteem.”
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| Rome, podcasts and portraits at Ara Pacis tell the story of Augustus' dynasty |
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