Sepolcro di Aulo Irzio

The sepulchre, casually discovered in 1938, lies under Palazzo della Cancelleria; at the moment is almost completely submerged by the waters of Euripus, the channel that crossed Campus Martius and flowed into the Tiber. With the building of the retaining walls on the Tiber at the end of the 19th century, the outflow to the river of Euripus and other channels of the area were closed and it produced the raising and stagnation of waters. The sepulchre, partially cut by the foundations of Palazzo della Cancelleria, is formed by an enclosure with a tuff base, a brick wall and a travertine double-pitched cover. Some memorial stones that delimitated the funerary area bring the name of the consul Aulus Hirtius, a legate of Caesar’s who died together with his colleague Vibius Pansa in the battle of Mutina against Antony in 43 BC. After the heroic death of the two consuls, the Roman Senate decreed to built two sepulchres for them in the Campus Martius by public expenses. The tomb of Vibius Pansa should be close by. Leaning against the sepulchres were discovered some relief slabs, the so called Altar of the Vicomagistri dating back to the age of Claudius (41-54 AD) and two reliefs of the Cancelleria dating back to the age of Domitian (81-96 AD). These works, among the most important in Roman art, are now displayed in the Vatican Museums, while in the Palazzo della Cancelleria are the casts.