Pantheon

About Pantheon

The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved buildings from ancient Rome, standing on Piazza della Rotonda in the heart of the historic center. It was built as a temple to all the gods, and the version you see today dates to around 125 AD, under the emperor Hadrian. The earlier inscription across the front still credits Marcus Agrippa, who put up the original temple on the site more than a century earlier. Over the centuries it was converted into a Christian church, which is a large part of why it survived so intact while other ancient monuments were quarried for stone.

The building is best known for its dome, an unreinforced concrete span that remains the largest of its kind in the world nearly two thousand years after it was cast. At the top sits the oculus, a round opening about nine meters across that is open to the sky. It lets in daylight, and yes, rain, which drains through small holes in the sloped marble floor below. The proportions inside are deliberate: the height to the oculus matches the diameter of the interior, so the space would hold a perfect sphere. Look for the tombs too, including the painter Raphael and two Italian kings.

The Pantheon is a working church as well as a monument, so visits pause during Mass and it can close for religious services. Entry is ticketed for most visitors, so check the current arrangements and book a timed slot online in high season to avoid a long queue on the piazza. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes inside. The location makes it easy to combine with Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain, both a short walk away.