THE MONUMENT ON THE CLIVUS ARGENTARIUS, AN ANCIENT ROMAN ROAD
An architectural reconstruction of the monument
Ancient topography and modern trasformations
In the 2nd century BC, a monument dedicated to the aedile magistrate Gaius Publicius Bibulus was erected along the Clivus Argentarius. From the time of the Republic the ancient road connected the north-eastern slopes of the Capitoline Hill with the Via Lata (Via Flaminia), just outside the Porta Fontinalis (Porta Ratumena) gate of the “Servian” walls, on the edge of the most important commercial and residential district of Rome prior to construction of the Imperial Fora.
At the end of the 15th century, the ruins of the monument were incorporated into the facade of a manor house located between Via di Marforio and Via Macel dei Corvi. This house was demolished at the end of the 19th century during construction of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (It.: Vittoriano). The monument was spared from demolition and left in its original location, with two-thirds of its base buried in the flowerbed just to the right of the Vittoriano.
The small antae (in antis) temple
The sepulchre, whose superstructure was restored in the 1st century BC maintaining the decorative motifs of the earlier building, was, in its original form, a small antae temple with a high podium and cella (shrine), and a shallow pronaos at the front.
The no longer extant short northern side comprised the facade and held a false door facing the Clivus.
At the base of the lower level there was probably a door for access to the internal burial chamber.
The west side and the south-west corner are still intact, as is part of the base and the superstructure decorated with four Tuscan-style pillars.
A single capital still supports the architrave and a short decorative fragment of an Ionic frieze of festoons and bucrania. Aniene Tuff building stones and travertine were used in its construction.
The opening on the visible side of the building was probably home to a statue of G. Publicius Bibulus. There was likely also a statue of the man or one of his ancestors located in the niche on the east side.
At the end of the 15th century, the ruins were incorporated into the facade of a manor house located between Via di Marforio and Via Macel dei Corvi. This house was demolished at the end of the 19th century during construction of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (It.: Vittoriano).
The monument was spared from demolition and left in its original location, with two-thirds of its base buried in the flowerbed just to the right of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II.
![Drawing of Simone del Pollaiolo, from Alfonso Bartoli, "I monumenti antichi di Roma nei disegni degli Uffizi di Firenze", Roma, 1914-[1923]](https://bibulus.archeometra.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/pollaiolo.jpg)
