Monuments
Formia
The Tomb of Cicero
Along the Via Appia at km 139 lies a mausoleum from the Augustan age, traditionally attributed to the famous orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, who was killed in Formia on 7 December 43 BC.
The monument is preserved for a height of 24 m and consists of two superimposed bodies: a square base measuring 18 meters per side, surmounted by a cylindrical tower in opus caementicium, which was originally covered with marble slabs.
Inside the base there is the burial chamber, supported by a central pillar and covered by a vault, with six niches on the walls, covered with bricks (opus testaceum). Above, the tower has a high annular vault on a square pillar, an extension of the pylon below with the function of supporting the entire structure.
The external parament of the monument has been removed in past centuries. The mausoleum has been restored since ancient times, changing its original appearance. In the Middle Ages it had a defensive and military function.
The tomb is surrounded by a garden, bordered by a wall in opus reticulatum with two access gates, the main one of them opening on the Appian Way.
La tomba è circondata da un giardino, delimitato da un recinto in opera reticolata con due porte d’accesso, delle quali la principale si apriva sulla via Appia.