The month of August takes its name after Emperor Augustus. In 8 BC, the Roman Senate chose this specific month to honor Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, the great nephew of Julius Caesar, because it was the time of his greatest triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt. Little they knew that this was also going to be the month of his death, as he died few years later, on the 19th of August 14 AD, in Nola, near Naples. This week, therefore, marked the 2000th anniversary of the emperors' death which has been celebrated with a series of events in Italy throughout the year. We kept you posted on some of the main events and exhibition dedicated to Emperor Augustus in Rome and published a series of articles on Ancient Rome to celebrate his remarkable life. One of the most striking events was certainly the special opening of the Ara Pacis Museum which brought the monument back to its original colours thanks to a polychrome digital projection on the marble decorative surfaces. However, ironically, we also reported that Augustus Stables in Rome, which were uncovered in 2009, will be reburied for lack of funds, showing how Italy is still grappling with how to best manage its thousands of years of cultural demands. If only the Italians politicians of the past 70 years had a gram of August's ability to think 'in Grande'!