Italy: Bulgari lights up Rome’s Ara Pacis

Rome: Rome’s Ara Pacis museum and its monumental ancient altar have been illuminated with a new lighting system thanks to a financial contribution from Bulgari.

The luxury fashion house donated €120,000 to the re-lighting of the museum, in addition to the almost €87,000 of city funds, in its latest act of patronage towards Rome.

The project involved replacing the existing lighting system with new LED lights, both in the museum’s exhibition spaces and around the altar, which was consecrated in 9 BC.

The re-lighting project at the museum, designed by US architect Richard Meier, comes amid a hive of activity in Piazza Augusto Imperatore.

There are just three weeks left before the much-anticipated opening of the Mausoleum of Augustus, following a €6.5 million restoration funded by the Italian telecommunications company TIM.

The city is also undertaking its own restyling works in the piazza while Bulgari is busy converting a landmark building in the square into a 5-star hotel, set to open in 2022.

The Bulgari Hotel will be located in a rationalist-style building dating from the fascist era, designed by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, and built between 1936 and 1938.

In recent years Bulgari has funded several major restorations in the capital, from the Spanish Steps to the archaeological site at Largo di Torre Argentina.

The Mausoleum of Augustus will be open for free to all visitors from 1 March until 21 April, Rome’s birthday or Natale di Roma, remaining free to visit for residents of Rome for all of 2021.