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The Mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus in Gaeta: the tomb of the consul who founded Lyon
On top of the summit of Monte Orlando, 166 metres above sea level, stands one of the best-preserved Roman mausoleums in the world. It is the tomb of Lucius Munatius Plancus — general of Caesar, founder of Lyon and Basel, the man who proposed to the Senate that Octavian be named "Augustus". The people of Gaeta call it Torre d'Orlando. This is possibly a corruption of the French tour roulant (revolving tower), distorted over the centuries by the local dialect.
The consul who switched sides more than once
Plancus was born around 90 BC, probably at Tibur (Tivoli) or Atina. He served as legate to Caesar in Gaul, then shifted allegiance between Antony and Octavian with a political agility that earned him the epithet of "traitor by nature". But he knew how to end up on the right side: in 27 BC, by then firmly behind the victor, he proposed the title that would give its name to an entire era. The mausoleum dates to after 22 BC, when Plancus was serving as censor.
A structure that defies time
The cylindrical drum in ashlar masonry is nearly 30 metres in diameter, with a circumference of 93 metres. The Doric frieze of metopes and triglyphs commemorates the consul's achievements. Inside, four chambers connected by a ring-shaped corridor today house an antiquarium containing archaeological finds and a copy of the statue of the "General of Tivoli". Above the entrance, an inscription lists his offices and conquests: builder of the Temple of Saturn in Rome, founder of colonies, triumpher over the Rhaeti.
