After decades of shameful neglect, the biggest mausoleum ever to be built by the ancient Romans is to be brought alive with a spectacular multimedia experience projected onto its 2,000-year-old walls.

The Mausoleum of Augustus, located in the centre of Rome just a stone’s throw from the Tiber, was constructed in 28BC and became the last resting place of the eponymous emperor, as well as his successors Nero and Tiberius.

An Italian telecommunications company has contributed six million euros for its restoration, with its director promising an elaborate multimedia show that will tell the story of Augustus and ancient Rome.

“Images of Rome, from ancient times to the modern era, will be projected onto the interior of the mausoleum’s walls,” said Giuseppe Recchi, the president of Telecom Italia. “Tourists will be immersed in the most sensational story of humanity, from imperial Rome to the beginnings of Christianity and the Baroque period,” he told Corriere della Sera newspaper.