Ara Pacis Museum launches podcasts on the faces of Augustus' dynasty

The Ara Pacis Museum has launched a project to enrich its permanent collection, focusing on the Bust Gallery. From May 15 visitors can listen to eight free podcasts, in Italian and English, that provide audio-guided insights into the portraits displayed.

How to use

• Podcasts are accessible independently through a QR code placed next to each label.
• Each episode explores the lives, achievements, family ties and public roles of members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
• The recordings are available in Italian and English and are free for visitors.

Subjects covered

• Featured figures include Augustus, his close general Agrippa, the heir-designate Marcellus, the nephews Gaius and Lucius Caesar, and Antonia Minor with her son Germanicus.
• The busts are plaster casts reproducing Augustan-era marble originals; several pieces were donated by the Sorgente Group Foundation.

Partners and production

• The initiative is promoted by Rome City Council and the Capitol Superintendency for Cultural Heritage, supported by the Sorgente Group Foundation.
• Podcasts were produced by Foglio Edizioni; museum services are managed by Zètema Progetto Cultura.

The aim is to turn the gallery into a narrative route: beyond static portraits, audio stories restore identity and historical context to the figures of the Augustan age. Visitors are encouraged to scan the QR codes during their visit for a more engaging experience.