The Pantheon
Listed under Temples in Rome, Italy.
Nothing less than a global icon, Rome's noble Pantheon was built during the beginning of the 2nd Century and its powerful Classical architecture stands at striking odds with the smaller, elegant buildings surrounding the Piazza della Rotonda. Intended as a temple to all the Roman gods, the building is fronted by sixteen massive Corinthian columns and is circular, with a 5,000 ton concrete dome and an 'oculus' at the centre, which allows the light, and possibly the watchful eye of heaven, into the cavernous interior. The Pantheon was consecrated as a church at the start of the 7th Century and is still used for important masses and weddings. Its Christian identity saved it from the gradual ruin inflicted upon other examples of Classical architecture in the city, and despite the removal of the bronze portico ceiling by Pope Urban VIII, it has been carefully maintained since the Renaissance and contains several well-known paintings and the tombs of artists Raphael and Caracci, as well as other public figures.
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Comments, reviews and questions by other travellers
Purposely built by the Romans to shield visitors from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, the peace and calm you'll find as you step in are worth the walk over.
Of all the places in Rome...
...this is the place I come first, and never tire of it. You round the corner and there in front of you is probably the most spectacular building in the world - honey-coloured, battered, huge in such a small space - and standing for nearly 2000 years. It survived because it was turned from a temple to a church in the early middle ages. The huge doors are antique, and looking up in the portico, you will see its massive marble beams, stripped of their bronze cladding, as they were when they were erected in the 2nd century after Christ.
Inside, the oculi - hole in the roof - is all that lights it - but with Rome's bright light, this is normally enough in daylight, as you follow the beam of light around the floor and the walls. When it rains, water splashes on the worn marble floor.
In the small square, the sight of the majectic Pantheon and the tinkle of the fountain make any dinner a deux in one of the sit-out restaurants one of the most romantic of all time. Rome is a spectacular city, and the Pantheon is the most spectacular thing in it.
An Amazing Structure
An amazing building and structure for its time - visit early in morning or late at night ideally when raining and stand under open oculi in the dome!
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- Rome travel guide
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- The best Temples
The best building in the world, is magic, still old atmosphere wrap it. Sorry for my english