The Pantheon

This past Saturday, we started our morning with a visit to one of Rome's most well-known pieces of history - the Pantheon. While many people know of the Pantheon, much fewer know of its actual use both historically and present day. It is one of the most well-preserved buildings remaining from ancient Rome, and is incredibly impressive in its size and architectural significance.

The Pantheon was constructed in 125 AD by emperor Hadrian and was dedicated as a temple to all the gods. The word Pantheon is actually a latin word meaning "all the gods". This building was then given to the pope in 608 AD, at which time he transformed it into a church with the name Sancta Maria Dei Martiri. It is a church dedicated to "Saint Mary and the Martyrs". Since the renaissance, the Pantheon has also been used a tomb and serves as the final resting place for the famous artist Raphael, among others.

A view of the front of the Pantheon. Because the porch did not end up being as tall as they had anticipated, a transitional block had to be put in place to match the height of the dome, so the building would be structurally sound. 

Something that is particularly impressive about the Pantheon as a structure is the giant domed roof. The dome weighs over 4 tons and has an oculus at its center that is 30 feet in diameter. The height up to the oculus and the diameter of the dome are the same - 142 feet - making it suitable to fit a perfect sphere. The Pantheon is still considered to have the worlds largest unreinforced concrete dome. The oculus at the center of the dome is the only source of natural light in the Pantheon and is thought to have been created possibly as a symbol of a connection to heaven (or the gods in earlier Roman history). Throughout the day, the light moves around the Pantheon in a reverse sundial direction. On the anniversary of Rome, the light shines directly through the doors to the Pantheon and the emperor would often stand at this entrance and address the people.

Inside the Pantheon looking up toward the oculus. At mid-day, the amount of light that shines through is very bright throughout the entire building.

Today, the Pantheon remains a church and holds mass regularly. The artistry inside the church is incredibly beautiful, and is largely made up of hues of gold. While the Christian church has added chapels, statues, paintings and inscriptions, the structure of the Pantheon has remained the same since the time of ancient Rome. It is an incredible testament to the stability of Roman architecture and stands through time as a representation of the Roman people.

A picture of me inside the Pantheon next to the front altar.
There are many details representative of Christianity, even just in this picture.