The Pantheon stands as the most complete Roman structure on earth, having survived 20 centuries of looting, looting, and invasion.
Facts about the pantheon
The original Pantheon was a rectangular temple built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, as part of a district renovation plan in 27-25 BC. What tourists see while relaxing in front of Piazza della Rotonda is radically different from the original temple. Hadrian rebuilt the structure; The manufacturer’s stamps on the bricks allow us to set your restoration between 118 and 125 AD. Still, the inscription on the architrave attributes the construction to Agrippa during his third council.
The portico in front of the Pantheon is what remains of the original temple of Agrippa.
The Pantheon contains the tombs of Raphael and several Italian kings. Pantheon is a Greek word that means “to honor all gods.”
Pantheon dimensions
The giant dome that dominates the interior measures 43.30 meters or 142 feet in diameter (in comparison, the dome of the White House is 96 feet in diameter). The Pantheon remained the largest dome until Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence Cathedral from 1420-36. It is still the largest masonry dome in the world. The Pantheon is made perfectly harmonious by the fact that the distance from the floor to the top of the dome is exactly equal to its diameter. Adytons (recessed wall shrines) and chests (sunken panels) cleverly reduce the weight of the dome, as does a lightweight cement made of pumice stone used on the upper levels.
The dome thins as it gets closer to the oculus, the hole in the top of the dome is used as a light source for the interior. The thickness of the dome at that point is only 1.2 meters.
The oculus is 7.8 meters in diameter. Yes, rain and snow occasionally fall through it, but the floor is sloped and the drains cleverly remove water if it manages to hit the floor. In practice, rain rarely falls inside the dome.
The massive columns supporting the gantry weigh 60 tons. Each was 39 feet (11.8 m) high, five feet (1.5 m) in diameter, and made from stone quarried in Egypt. The columns were transported by wooden sleds to the Nile, stormed Alexandria and embarked for a journey across the Mediterranean to the port of Ostia. From there, the columns went up the Tiber by barge.
Preservation of the Pantheon
Like many buildings in Rome, the Pantheon was saved from looting by turning it into a church. The Byzantine Emperor Phocas donated the monument to Pope Boniface IV, who turned it into the Church of Saint Mary of the Martyrs in 609. Masses are celebrated here on special occasions.
Pantheon visitor information
The Pantheon has a website that details the most up-to-date information on opening hours and special events. Admission is free.
A special event that you can enjoy if you visit Rome in the spring is the celebration of the Pentecost Mass (50 days after Easter). In a feature of the event, firefighters climb to the top of the dome to drop rose petals from the oculus. If you arrive early (hours before mass), you will be able to find a few inches of floor space from which to observe this extremely popular event.
How to experience the pantheon
The Piazza della Rotonda is a lively square lined with cafes, bars and restaurants. In summer, visit the interior of the Pantheon during the day, preferably early in the morning before the tourist crowds, but return at night; The square in front is especially lively on warm summer nights when the Pantheon is lit from below and stands out as a huge reminder of the greatness of ancient Rome. The penny-pinching backpacker crowd floods the steps of the fountain that surrounds one of Rome’s trophy obelisks, as tourists crowd the bars that line the square.
The drinks are expensive, as you might expect, but not outrageous, and you can breastfeed them for a long time without being disturbed, one of the simple delights of European life.
The restaurants are mostly mediocre, but the view and atmosphere are second to none. To experience some good solid Roman food at a good restaurant nearby, try Armando al Pantheon, in a small alley to the right of the Pantheon as you face it. The best coffee in the nearby Tazza d’Oro.
