The Pantheon

In italian : Pantheon

The Pantheon of Rome is probably the best preserved ancient building of ancient Rome, it was also one of the most prestigious, dedicated to all the ancient gods venerated by the Romans.

History and description

Once at the end of a vast courtyard, the Pantheon is now in direct contact with the street on the pretty Piazza della Rotonda square. Originally it overlooked the place, while now it is below because of the elevation of the soil of Rome over time. Indeed, the new constructions have been built over the previous vestiges.

History

Pantheon of Rome

It was a temple dedicated to the pagan gods of the Romans, Mars and Venus in particular, who were the protectors of the Gens Julia (the family of Julius Caesar). It was rebuilt between the year 118 and 125 AD by the emperor Hadrian to replace the old temple erected at the initiative of Agrippa around 27 BC and which burned in 80 AD. On the occasion of the last works, was raised to 43 meters in height the great dome with caissons, pierced by an oculus.
The golden dome symbolized the celestial vault, the residence of the gods of the Pantheon. It could also be interpreted as the image of the universe under the control of Rome.

As on all the monuments of which Hadrian is at the origin, he did not inscribe his name (with the exception of the Temple of Trajan, dedicated to his father). Thus, the front porch, consisting of sixteen columns, bears a triangular pediment engraved with the following inscription:

” M. AGRIPPA.L.F.COSTERTIUM.FECIT ”

“Made by Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, after being three times consul”

It is not known how people practiced their worship in the Pantheon because its structure is very different from other traditional Roman temples.
In the apses of the outer colonnade were the statues of Augustus and Agrippa.
If it survived time very well, it was because he was employed permanently. Thus in 609 AD, he was converted in the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres, after it was offered by the Byzantine emperor Phocas to Pope Boniface IV.
It became the mausoleum of important figures in Italian history, with the tombs of the Italian kings Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, or the Renaissance painter Raphael.

Architecture of the Pantheon

Pantheon by night

The architecture of the Pantheon was an innovation by combining three geometric shapes: the circular plan crowned with a dome, the rectangular exterior colonnade, and the triangular pediment it carries.
The rotunda of the main body is formed of a series of crossed arches that rest on eight pillars along the full width of the drum. The dome is supported by a series of arches arranged horizontally. It holds the longevity record for this type of construction with more than 18 centuries.
The materials are lighter in height than at the base. At the bottom are travertine stones, which are the heaviest. Going up, was used an assembly of travertine and tuff, then a mixture of tuff and brick, then only bricks in the drum section of the dome, and finally pumice stone for the dome ceiling.

The interior of the Pantheon of Rome combines tradition and innovation, where the height is equal to the inner diameter of the dome, with 43 meters.
Originally it had no marble veneer currently present, added well after its construction.
The oculus was an exceptional achievement of Roman engineering, the size of which was much larger than any other with 8,7 m large. Still not covered, the rain falls inside and drips on the slightly convex soil, then evacuated by the original drainage system.

Links

• Wikipedia pages : Pantheon

The tombs in the Pantheon

Since the Renaissance, the Pantheon has been used as the mausoleum of prestigious Italian figures. In the exedra serving as chapels, it thus houses in chronological order the tombs of the painter Raphael (1483-1520), according to his last wishes, with those of his pupils Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481-1536) and Perin del Vaga (1501-1547).
The following are the tombs of the painters Giovanni da Udine (1487-1564), Taddeo Zuccaro (1529-1566), the architect Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola (1507-1573), the painter Annibale Carracci (1560-1609), the composer Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), the heart of Cardinal Ercole Consalvi (1757-1824).
Later preserved are the graves of two kings of Italy: Victor Emmanuel II (1820-1878) and Umberto I (1844-1900) and that of his wife Queen Marguerite of Savoy (1851-1926).

Informations, map, timetable

Address : Piazza della Rotonda, Roma
Official website : direzionemuseiroma.cultura.gov.it/pantheon
Closed on 25th of december and 1st of january.
Open from 9 am to 7 pm, entrance until 6:30 pm, ticket office open until 6 pm.
Full price € 5; Reduced € 3 (18-25 years of EU); Free for under 18 years.

Guided tours and tickets

Selection of accommodation near the Pantheon

Selection of hotels, chambers and apartments near the Pantheon, ordered by price or distance from Pantheon

• Good hotels and accommodation sorted BY PRICE less than 600 meters from the Pantheon
• Good hotels and accommodation sorted BY DISTANCE from the Pantheon

Map

Gallery