The Pantheon is an architectural and historical monument of antiquity, one of the significant sights of Rome. It was conceived as a temple of all the ancient Roman gods, but after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was re-consecrated into the Catholic Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs.
The mysterious history of the Pantheon
The Pantheon is the most mysterious of all the buildings of Ancient Rome. When, how and by whom it was built is not exactly known. It is assumed that the construction of the temple was completed in 27 BC under the auspices of the Roman statesman Marco Vipsanio Agrippa. After several fires, the Pantheon was badly damaged and in 124 AD, under the emperor Hadrian, it was rebuilt and acquired a modern look.
Although the new temple was very different from the original building, Emperor Hadrian wanted to pay tribute to Agrippa and left an original inscription with bronze letters on the facade of the building:
The Latin inscription "M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIVM.FECIT" literally translates as "Marco Agrippa, son of Lucius, built during his third consulate."
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Pantheon was abandoned for several centuries, and only in 608 the Byzantine emperor Phocas handed it over to Pope Boniface IV, who dedicated the ancient building to St. Mary and all the Martyrs. During the unification of Italy (1871-1894), the Pantheon served as a fortress for kings.
There is another theory, according to which the Pantheon was built in the Middle Ages. Supporters of this version dispute the almost 2000th age of the temple, since the ancient building has been perfectly preserved to this day, and yet it is built of bricks and concrete, the service life of which is much shorter.
legends
The Pantheon is shrouded in amazing stories and legends. One belief says that the building was built on the spot from which the legendary Romulus, the founder of Rome, ascended to heaven. Another belief says that the oculus, the hole in the dome, was created by the devil fleeing the temple of God. Another legend reports that Cybele, an ancient Greek deity revered as the Great Mother of the gods, appeared in a dream to Agrippa to ask for the construction of a temple.
Pantheon - the architectural masterpiece of Rome
The Roman Pantheon is a revolutionary building in ancient Roman architecture. Its peculiarity lies in ideal proportions: the inner diameter of the dome corresponds to the height of the temple, and as a result, the structure has a spherical shape. The creator of the Pantheon is the Syrian architect and engineer Apollodorus from Damascus.
The ancient temple consists of a large rotunda covered with a hemispherical dome and 16 Corinthian columns supporting the pediment. As before, most of the building is lined with marble, but over the long history of the Pantheon, changes have been made on the outside and brickwork can be seen in some places.
As the best-preserved example of Roman monumental architecture, the Pantheon has had a huge impact on Western architecture. Many famous buildings were built that reflect the structure of the Pantheon with a portico and a dome: the Church of San Carlo al Corso in Milan, the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola in Naples, the Gran Madre di Dio Church in Turin, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, State Library of Victoria in Melbourne and others.
Dome of the Pantheon
Today, the hemispherical dome of the Roman Pantheon, with a diameter of 43 meters, is the largest dome in the world built of concrete without reinforcement. For its construction, the architects used a very light mortar, but still the dome turned out to be very heavy. To hold such a huge hemisphere, it was necessary to increase the thickness of the walls to 6 meters.
In the center of the dome is the oculus - a round hole with a diameter of 9 meters, the so-called eye of the Pantheon. Air and light enter the temple only through this hole, since there are no windows in the building. When it rains, water gets into the oculus, so there are special drainage channels in the floor that collect water.
What is inside
The interior of the Pantheon is no less magnificent than the outside, although many statues and gilded bronze ornaments have disappeared over the long centuries. From the 15th century, the temple began to be enriched with frescoes. The most famous of them is the "Annunciation" by Melozzo da Forli.
The temple has seven niches, placed in pairs of columns, which originally served to worship the deities associated with the cult of the planets: the Sun, Moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars. When the Pantheon was consecrated into a Christian basilica, these niches were used to install altars and tombs of famous people.
Burials in the Pantheon
Since the Renaissance, the Pantheon, like all churches, has become a burial place for prominent people. Priests, famous cultural figures, and even kings are buried here: Umberto I and Emmanuel II. A special place is occupied by the tomb of the painter Raphael Santi.
Helpful information
Address: Piazza della Rotonda, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
The Pantheon is located in the city center, nearby is the entire tourist infrastructure of the Italian capital: various cafes, restaurants, shops, tour agencies, attractions, etc.
On the square in front of the Pantheon, there is another attraction - an Egyptian obelisk, which was made in ancient Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II at the end of the 13th century BC. By decree of Pope Clement XI, the obelisk was installed in an already existing fountain in front of the Pantheon in 1711.
How to get there
Since the nearest metro station Cavour is 2 km from the Pantheon, it is more convenient to get there by bus.
By bus get to one of the following stops:
- Rinascimento - No. 30, 70, 81, 87;
- Argentina - No. 30, 40, 46, 62, 64, 70, 81, 87;
- Corso/Minghetti - No. 62, 63, 83, 85.
Opening hours
- from Monday to Saturday - from 9:00 to 19:30;
- Sunday - from 9:00 to 18:00;
- holidays - from 9:00 to 13:00.
Entrance to the Pantheon free.
Among other free attractions in Rome, it is also worth highlighting the Vittoriano memorial complex in Piazza Venezia, built in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of united Italy. On its territory there are museums and an observation deck.
Tourists who came to Italy aspired to write poems about him, his images are taken home in photographs and postcards. The Temple of All Gods located in Rome (or, as this building is now called, the Pantheon) at the time of its construction was dedicated to the main gods revered in the majestic building is one of the most famous architectural monuments of the ancient period that has survived to this day. Years passed, the world changed, and after the fall of the empire, the pagan sanctuary was consecrated as the Christian church of St. Mary and the New Martyrs.
Story. First Pantheon - Agrippa's Pantheon
The first Temple of All the Gods in Rome was built between 27 and 25 BC. Despite the fact that the construction was carried out on the territory of the Roman Empire, the name of the Temple of All Gods in Rome comes from the Greek words: "pan" - "comprehensive", and "theon", which means "divine". It was dedicated to the main gods of the Romans:
- Jupiter - the supreme god of thunder, to whom Zeus corresponds in Greek mythology.
- Neptune - the god of the seas and earthquakes, the Greek counterpart is Poseidon.
- Mars - the god of war, he corresponds to the Greek Ares.
- Venus - the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite in Hellas.
- Pluto - the god of the underworld analogue - Hades.
- Mercury - the messenger of the gods, the patron of merchants and travelers (Hermes in Ancient Greece).
- Saturn - the titan of time, the Greek version - Kronos (Chronos).
The emperor’s close friend and son-in-law, Consul Mark Agrippa, took over the construction management, as evidenced by the inscription on the building lined with bronze letters. The first Pantheon was facing south and had the shape of a rectangle. The main decoration of the facade of the Roman Pantheon were columns and caryatids - statues of dressed women, replacing the columns that first appeared in ancient Greece. Opposite the Pantheon, on the opposite side of the square, stood the Temple of Neptune. At least it is this description of the Temple of all the gods in Rome that has come down to us.
The first Roman Pantheon burned down in a fire in the first century AD, but, like many other temples, it was rebuilt under the emperor Domitian, and its remains are now located at a depth of about two and a half meters.
The construction of the modern Temple of all the gods in Rome
The Pantheon of Mark Agrippa, restored under Domitian, was finally destroyed during the reign due to the fact that lightning struck it, therefore, under the emperor Hadrian, who wanted "this sanctuary of all the gods to represent the globe and the celestial sphere", it was completely rebuilt.
According to the markings on the bricks that make up the temple, its construction was carried out in the first half of the second century AD. The architect was one of the largest architects of that time, Apollodorus of Damascus, who supervised the construction of significant structures (among them the Baths and the Arc de Triomphe) not only under Hadrian, but also before him, under Trajan.
architectural features
Unlike its predecessor, the Pantheon of Apollodorus was oriented to the north, and its size has increased significantly. Moreover, in the new project, a podium of eight steps was added to the architectural composition. The temple is able to accommodate a sphere - an ideal model of the Universe - with a diameter of 43 meters. The very architecture of the Temple of All Gods reflects the ideas of the Romans about the structure of the universe. The walls of the temple are quite thick, and their composition changes with height - they are denser at the bottom, and their upper part consists of lighter materials.
Of course, the most famous view from the facade - in most photos of the Temple of All the Gods in Rome, you can see sixteen tall columns on which the triangular pediment rests. On the pediment there is the same inscription as on Agrippa's Pantheon. There are holes under the pediment, with the help of which a bronze image of the symbol of power was fastened - an eagle with outstretched wings, which holds an oak wreath in its beak. Many of the bronze images by Diogenes of Athens that adorned the façade were later used to work on St. Peter's Basilica, an act considered barbaric by many people at the time.
Pantheon after the fall of the empire
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Pantheon only escaped destruction due to the fact that in 608 AD it was turned into a church by Pope Boniface IV, who a year later consecrated it in honor of St. Mary and the Martyrs. The name was due to the fact that it was here that the relics from the Roman catacombs were transported. Approximately forty-five years later, the emperor of Constantinople, Constant II, removed bronze decorative elements and gilded tiles from the former Temple of All Gods, which were replaced with lead only almost two centuries after the visit of the Constantinopolitan monarch. In addition, after the Pantheon became a Christian temple, all objects of the pagan cult of the Romans, images of the Roman gods, were destroyed. An altar was erected in the temple, sculptural images of saints, frescoes on biblical subjects appeared.
In subsequent years, the fate of this majestic building was also unenviable. For a long time it was in disrepair, as, for example, during some period, it was at the center of the struggle between the noble Roman families Colonna and Orsini, acting as a fortress.
Who is buried in the Temple of All Gods?
The Renaissance brought the tradition of burying prominent people of their time in large cathedrals. She did not bypass the Pantheon, where many Renaissance painters found their last refuge, including one of the greatest masters of his era - Rafael Santi, who lies here with his bride Maria Bibbiena, architect Baldassare Peruzzi, musician Arcangelo Corelli.
The Savoy dynasty is also buried here. In the former Temple of All Gods, the first of the kings of united Italy, Victor Emanuel II, Father of the Fatherland, is buried, as the inscription on his tombstone says. He was famous for his hard work for the good of the country and his struggle for its unity. The son and successor of the unifier of Italy, King Umberto, who was shot dead in 1900, is also buried in the Pantheon, next to his father. Thirty-six years later, Umberto's wife, Queen Margherita, was also buried in the Pantheon. Guards at the royal graves are provided on a voluntary basis by representatives of the National Institute of Honor Guard.
Excursions to the Pantheon
You can come to the Pantheon both with an organized tour, for example, during a tour of Rome, or go on your own, seeing with your own eyes the grandeur of ancient architecture. The entrance to the temple is open from half past nine in the morning until half past seven in the evening and is absolutely free, but it is closed to visitors on January 1, May 1 and December 25 - on public holidays. The Pantheon is located in Piazza della Rotonda. However, there are a number of details to consider when visiting.
What should be remembered when visiting the Pantheon?
If someone decides to visit, while in Rome, the Pantheon - the Temple of all the gods, he must remember that some rules must be observed.
- In the Pantheon, first of all, you should follow the dress code, since it is an active temple. Clothing must be closed. In extreme cases, you can wrap one of the scarves from the basket near the entrance around you.
- Food and drinks are not allowed into the temple.
- Be sure to turn off your mobile phone. But at the same time, you can take pictures and record videos in the temple.
Curious facts
One of the important distinguishing features of the cultural object we are considering was the fact that the Temple of All the Gods in Ancient Rome was the only place where absolutely any resident of the city could come and pray to their gods. This was an innovation, because before that only priests had access to the temples.
Only once a year - on the day of the summer equinox, June 21 - sunlight, passing through the "Eye of the Pantheon" (a round hole in the center of the temple dome), illuminates the people entering the temple. On other days at noon, sunlight forms a kind of "pillar", and at other hours it alternately illuminates niches with sculptures of saints, where statues of the gods were previously installed.
The rounded shape of the main part of the Pantheon is due to the fact that once there was a pool on this site, whose foundation became the basis for the temple built by Agrippa.
The Pantheon in Rome is an ancient temple dedicated to the ancient Roman gods and the embodiment of the greatness of the Roman Empire. It is assumed that it was built in the 2nd century AD. on the site of a temple built in the 27th century BC. Mark Agrippa. In the 7th century, the Pantheon was re-consecrated into a Catholic church. Today, this achievement of antiquity is located in the Piazza della Rotonda.
The Pantheon is a huge rotunda covered with a hemispherical dome 45 meters in diameter. The architects were able to achieve a harmonious balance between the height of the building and its diameter. Thanks to engineering calculations, the dome does not put pressure on visitors with its mass, but rises solemnly, like the sky.
The height of the structure is almost equal to its diameter and is 42 meters.. The main feature of the Pantheon is a hole in the center of the dome. with a diameter of 9 meters, called the "Eye of the Pantheon". Through it, air and light enter the temple.
Eye of the Pantheon
Dear reader, to find an answer to any question about holidays in Italy, use. I answer all questions in the comments under the relevant articles at least once a day. Your guide in Italy Artur Yakutsevich.
From the inside, the surface of the dome is decorated with 140 caissons. These decorative recesses have not only decorative, but also constructive value. Due to them, the mass of the arch was significantly reduced. It was calculated that the weight of the dome is 5 thousand tons. But with an increase in the height of the vault, its thickness and mass decrease. So, for example, the thickness of the concrete mass at the base is 6 meters, and near the Eye of the Pantheon - 1.5 meters.
Entrance
The entrance to the temple is emphasized by a portico of sixteen granite Corinthian columns. You can enter the temple through a Roman portal dating from the Roman era. The walls on which the dome rests are lined with marble from the inside and are divided into 2 tiers. The lower tier, in turn, is divided into 7 identical niches to facilitate construction.
Burial place of great people
The Pantheon is one of the few that has survived to this day unchanged. Throughout its existence, it attracted the attention of both artists and scientists, as well as ordinary people. considered him an angelic creation. (Raffaello Santi) wanted to be buried in a temple, which, in his opinion, combined people and gods. The great artist was buried in the Pantheon. This event became a new stage in the history of the ancient temple. It has become a burial place for great and famous people.
From an architectural point of view, the Pantheon is practically the only monumental building that harmoniously combines grandeur and elegance. Its appearance had a considerable influence on architecture, both of its time and subsequent ones.
Despite the past centuries with their losses and gains, the Pantheon, as before, remains a true confirmation of the greatness of the Roman Empire.
Find a hotel near the PantheonA ticket to visit the Pantheon is not required, as the entrance is free. Opening hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. Least of all tourists in the first hour after the opening - this is the time we recommend for a visit to our readers.
↘️🇮🇹 USEFUL ARTICLES AND SITES 🇮🇹↙️ SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Pantheon in Rome is a majestic ancient Roman building dedicated to all pagan gods. It is a unity of unusual architecture and exquisite minimalism of interior decoration. The building is distinguished by classical simplicity and full value of the composition in the interior. A visit to the Pantheon will allow you to plunge into the mysterious world of bygone times and feel the beauty and charm of ancient architecture. We recommend that you also read information about others, prepare for the trip properly.
Roman Pantheon: a bit of history
The ancient pagan temple was erected in 126 AD. and was considered a tribute to all the deities in which the people of that time believed. It was the second Pantheon built on the site of the previously destroyed one. Its construction was carried out by order and under the leadership of Emperor Adriana.
In 609, the cathedral was consecrated and became one of the main Christian churches in the capital. It received the name of the Church of Mary and the Martyrs. The interior decoration of the structure has been preserved almost from the beginning of construction due to the regular work of the religious building and timely reconstructions.
To this day, the majestic church remains a tribute to the power of the Empire and the veneration of God.
Pantheon in Rome today
The modern Pantheon is a unique architectural structure, recognized as one of the main attractions of the city, a stunning masterpiece made by ancient masters. The height of this beautiful building is 45 meters. Its main building is a spacious rotunda, covered with a huge dome in the shape of a hemisphere with a diameter of 45 meters. In the center of the rounded roof there is a large hole (its diameter is about 9 meters), called the "Eye of the Pantheon", it serves as lighting and ventilation of the building. From the inside, the dome is decorated with numerous caissons made of interlacing white and ocher-brown marble. They became not only a wonderful design move, but also a well-thought-out architectural solution, since they made it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the vault, the weight of which already reaches 5 tons.
The entrance to the temple is also an echo of ancient ancient culture. It is represented by sixteen massive granite columns, which became the basis of the famous "Roman portal".
The interior of the building is distinguished by its elegance and grandeur. It is decorated with marble floors and walls, a beautiful colonnade, numerous altars and tombstones of famous people. In addition, in the interior of the temple you can find a variety of sculptures, decorative elements made of bronze, gold and other valuable metals. So, in the walls of the cathedral are intoxicated: Raphael, Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I and some other famous people and rulers.
Thus, Roman Pantheon- this is not just an ancient building, it is one of the few majestic structures that managed to carry their significance and beauty through dozens of centuries. Throughout its history, it has been admired by many artists, architects, writers and other creative people, for whom visiting the building was a breath of fresh air and inspiration for new creative ideas.
Pantheon opening hours
You can enjoy the beauty of the majestic cathedral on any day:
– in the summer period from Monday to Saturday it can be visited from 9 to 18 hours
- in winter - until 16.00.
Sunday for the temple is a shortened day, on which it is open for tours only until 13.00.
However, it is better to go there early (preferably in the first hour after opening), because at this time there are fewer tourists in the old building.
Also, it should be noted that the cathedral is closed on January 1 and May 1. We advise you to check the features of its mode of operation on other days on the official website: http://www.pantheonroma.com/it/home.html.
Ticket prices for the Pantheon
Entrance to the Pantheon, like many other European temples, is free, so you do not need to buy a ticket to visit it.
How to get to the Pantheon of Rome?
The Pantheon in Rome is located in the historical center of the capital, on the old Rotunda square. You can get to it using the red line A of the metro, the trains of which will take you to the Barberini station.
The Pantheon in Rome is a pagan temple of all the ancient Roman gods, this building is the embodiment of the power and strength of the Roman Empire. Later, the Christians decided to turn the pagan temple into a Christian one and consecrated it.
The Pantheon is the only temple in the world that has survived to this day in almost its original form.
History of the Pantheon
Who built
The Pantheon was erected in 27 BC. The temple was erected by Mark Agrippa, a relative of the Emperor Augustus. The Pantheon in ancient Rome is a building of unique complexity in its time: the architect's idea is progressive in our time. The complexity of execution is also impressive: building a dome with a diameter of 44 meters 2 millennia ago is not an easy task.
Temple construction
Before the construction of the Pantheon, a rounded pool functioned on this site, but after the fire, the emperor decided to pay tribute to the gods and built a temple of all gods (it is from the pool that the Pantheon takes its rounded shapes). The architect of the project was Apollodorus of Damascus, who decided to add an entrance in the form of a portico to the cylindrical building, thereby giving the building its current appearance.
Pantheon construction scheme
From Pagan Temple to Christian
Because the temple was pagan, many Christians wanted to destroy it. The temple was saved thanks to Emperor Foke. In 608, the emperor gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the pagan Pantheon into a Christian one. The Pope also ordered that the remains of the first Christians be transferred to a former pagan temple.
Thanks to these measures, the supporters of the destruction of the temple calmed down, and the Pantheon in Rome was saved. Thus, only thanks to Boniface IV, we can still admire this miracle of architecture.
Entrance to the Pantheon
Architecture of the temple of the gods
Pantheon outside and inside
Of course, over the two thousand year history of the Pantheon, changes have been made both outside and inside. Most of the temple is still lined with marble, but there are places where the brickwork flashes. The interior of the basilica has also become seriously impoverished: many statues, gilded bronze ornaments have disappeared, and the altar, which used to be in the middle of the temple, has now been moved to the eastern part.
However, getting inside, you forget that it was somehow different: everything sparkles and surprises with its magnificence.
View of the altar inside the Pantheon
What does the hole in the roof mean
The main feature of the Pantheon is the absence of windows. There is only a hole in the center of the roof, called the "oculus". This "window" is the only opening to the outside, where the light comes from. Hole diameter - 9 meters. The hole itself during construction was interpreted as a heavenly all-seeing eye.
During construction, under the "oculus" was an altar. Also around the hole, near the walls, there were statues of the gods. Throughout the year, when the Earth changed its position in its orbit, the light fell on a certain statue in its season. Thus, honor was given to each god, and in equal numbers.
Other interpretations of the appearance of the oculus are also interesting. According to one of them, at first there was no hole - it was cut through by angry evil spirits when the first Mass began to be served in the Pantheon. Although this legend does not explain why the temple was immediately built without windows .
Hole in the dome of the Pantheon
Dome of the Pantheon
Another feature of the Pantheon in Rome is the perfect hemispherical dome. The width of the dome is 43.3 meters. The dome is made of concrete, and instead of stones, bricks and light materials such as pumice were used. But no matter how the architects lighten the dome, replacing the heavy cobblestones with bricks and pumice, the dome will still turn out to be very heavy. To hold such a huge hemisphere (weighing 5 thousand tons), it was necessary to increase the thickness of the walls. That is why the thickness of the walls of the Pantheon was 6 meters.
Since it is still not known how such a dome was built, there are many legends about its construction. One of them says that immediately during the construction from the inside, the temple was filled with earth mixed with gold coins. After the construction was completed, Agrippa said that anyone who found gold could take it for himself. A few hours later there was no land in the Pantheon.
- Thanks to its six-meter walls, the Pantheon often served as a fortress during uprisings and riots in the Middle Ages.
- Until now, the dome of the temple is the largest in the world, built of concrete without reinforcement, while having an impressive age.
- Until the 18th century, the basilica had a lot of expensive gilded details, which were later removed and sent for melting down.
- According to legend, the spherical dome of the Pantheon gave an impetus to Nicolaus Copernicus to finally formulate his heliocentric theory.
- The Pantheon became the first temple where ordinary people could enter, before that only priests were allowed to enter.
Burials in the temple
Starting from the Renaissance, famous and prominent people began to be buried in the temple. Priests, musicians, sculptures and even saints rest here. In addition to famous cultural figures, many of the ruling dynasties found peace here, for example, Kings Umberto I and Emmanuel II. A special place is occupied by the sarcophagus with the remains of Rafael Santi, canonized.
Video about the Pantheon
Helpful information
Where is
Address: Piazza della Rotonda
How to get to the Pantheon
Ticket to the Pantheon
Admission is free
Time and opening hours
From 9:00 to 19:30, Sunday - from 9:00 to 18:00
Excursion
For those who are going to Rome, we recommend the tour "Ancient Rome - a way into the past". This excursion will be an ideal journey into the past, after which it will be difficult to look at the city with the same eyes.
Hotels near Pantheon
Since this is the historic center, this is a very convenient place to stay in Rome. Especially if you are visiting Rome for the first time.
