Significance of Location:

(Boatwright – Map of the Ager Vaticanus in the Time of Hadrian)

One of the major oddities of the Mausoleum of Hadrian is its location in the Ager Vaticanus, on the right bank of the Tiber. During the reign of Hadrian, this was a scantily-inhabited, disease-ridden floodplain (Boatwright 165). Even though these lands were imperial property, it seems unusual that this was the location chosen for an imperial tomb.

One possibility was Hadrian’s two-fold priorities with regards to his legacy. On one hand, the proximity to older Roman burials provides a link between Hadrian and Roman greats of the past, especially Augustus (whose Mausoleum would have been visible a few hundred meters to the east). At the same time, by his placing his Mausoleum on the opposite side of the river, Hadrian emphasizes his own uniqueness among all of these historical figures.

While it is not entirely clear why the location was chosen as it was, the implications of the choice are clearer. The Pons Aelius provided a new, easy link between the Campus Martius and Ager Vaticanus (Boatwright 167). Additionally, transportation in the area was enhanced by the new roads built as part of the complex (Boatwright 167). Based on building history and literary records, extensive use of the area only really began in earnest after completion of Hadrian’s monument (Boatwright 168).