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The Mausoleum of Lucilius Petus: the tribune's tomb that rose again from the earth
The discovery came about by chance. In 1887, during construction works that went down to a depth of six metres, the earth gave back what it had kept hidden for nearly two thousand years: the Mausoleum of Lucilius Petus, an impressive 1st century Roman tomb.
A monument for eternity
The structure is colossal: a cylinder 34 metres in diameter and 16 metres tall, clad in travertine blocks. An inscription immediately clarifies to whom it belonged: Lucilius Petus, a wealthy military tribune who, while still alive, decided to build this majestic tomb for himself and his sister, Lucilia Polla. A gesture that bears witness to his wealth and importance.
The interior and its fate
A corridor leads to the heart of the mausoleum: a cross-shaped burial chamber with three niches intended to hold funeral biers. Its fate, however, was a singular one: after a period of use, it was abandoned, and almost completely buried underground during the reign of Emperor Trajan, disappearing from sight until its rediscovery.
The mausoleum can be visited in Rome, along the Via Salaria.
