Heading to the Pantheon, Rome

What to expect - seeing the Pantheon

Amongst all the historical buildings throughout Rome the one that has been maintained the best is the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built as a temple by Hadrian around AD 120 and its main role was as a monument to the 12 of the prominent gods followed during the time. The excellent condition of the building can be put down to it conversion to a Christian church in the 7th century when Byzantine Emperor Phocas presented it to the Pope.

Although some of the bronze cladding and decoration have been removed over the years, the beautifully simplistic exterior remains intact along with the original doors made from bronze and are the originals from Roman times.

The true glory and beauty of the building though is in the dimensions of the building as put forward by the Roman architect Vitruvius. The domes’ diameter is equal to the height of the rest of the building, which means that a perfect sphere could be placed within it. On the dome, in its very centre is the oculus which is a hole with a diameter of 9m that is the buildings only source of light and symbolises the link between the building and the heavens.

Today the Pantheon is still used as a church, with several important people from Italian history buried within its tombs, including the first king of the united Italy Vittorio Emanuele II and the artist Raphael.

Video on the Pantheon in Rome

Useful information on the Pantheon area

You can choose to stay in the Pantheon area and one company who provide a wide choice of holiday apartment rentals in the area are holiday-velvet.com and they are fairly affordable when priced against other companies offering a similar service. You can find out some handy information from rome-culture.com on the Pantheon area including restaurants and nightlife. Also interested in more Rome attractions?