The Pantheon is always the first place I head for when I go to Rome. I love it. I love the fact that it is 2,000 years old and still magnificent. I love the granite columns and the occulus and everything else. Last time I was in Rome it was covered in scaffolding, but it is back to normal now.
the entrance to the Pantheon
The Pantheon was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to the gods. It was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 126 ad.
It still carries Agrippa’s name
The fountain in front of the Pantheon in the Piazza della Rotunda is impressive as well.
looking from the Piazza della Rotunda
The circular building has 16 granite Corinthian columns. The columns were quarried in Egypt. Each one is 12 metres tall, 1.5 metres in diameter and weighs 60 tons. They were dragged more than 100 kilometres from the quarry to the Nile where they were floated by barge to the Mediterranean and loaded onto ships and taken to Ostia, the port of Rome at the time, where they were once again loaded onto barges and towed up river to Rome and dragged a further 700 metres to the site. It makes me tired just thinking about it.
the very impressive, and well travelled columns
looking up
still looking good after all these years
In medieval times the Pantheon was consecrated as a church, which probably saved it from destruction. It has also served as a tomb. The painter Raphael is buried there , and Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, among others.
When you walk inside your eyes are drawn upwards to the oculus in the dome above.
The hole in the roof casts light on different parts of the interior at different times of the day.
the light shines in
I have been here dozens of times and I see something new every time.
shining in the sun
If you are really lucky, there won’t be too many people inside when you go. A couple of times I have been almost alone inside – amazing.
the incredible interior
more of the beautiful interior
Take some time to wander around the space.
The dome is still the largest the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
The building would have been covered with white marble. Most of it has been spirited away over the centuries and used for other purposes – early vandalism.
very little of the marble remains
a few bits are left in place
Can you imagine what the building must have looked like when it was new?
it must have been incredibly beautiful
The building is spectacular at night.
the back of the Pantheon at night
The Piazza della Rotunda comes alive with music and people dining. It is a lot of fun and you get one of the best views in the world.
those amazing columns again
There are lots of restaurants to choose from here. They will be a bit more expensive than those in back streets, but you are paying for the view.
early evening
You can’t go inside at night, but that doesn’t matter, the exterior is breathtaking.
a bit later
Before you leave the area you have to go behind the Pantheon to the Piazza Minerva to see Bernini’s lovely little elepant. He is my next favourite thing in Rome.
Bernini’s elephant
While the little elephant doesn’t look entirely happy to be there, I am always happy to see him.
walk by and give him a pat
After seeing Bernini’s elephant walk to the nearby Caffe Sant Eustachio or Tazza d’Oro for the best coffee in Rome.
PS. 2018 update. Until recently it has been free to enter the Pantheon, but now there is a fee and it seems there is an ugly kiosk in the piazza where tickets are sold. What a pity! I don’t mind paying if it helps to maintain these magnificent buildings, but an ugly kiosk is wrong.