Pantheon, Rome

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We were blown away by the Pantheon. It was obviously on our must do list when we got to Rome as it is one of the famous attractions but we were not prepared for the sheer size of it. Perhaps more importantly though was the feeling it inspires as you just look at it from the outside and 'feel' the age and character of it's overwhelming presence in this pretty square. The inside is beautifully decorated, the only downside being that there will be so many other people there to see it as well and therefore there is a fair amount of noise. I thought that the best view of this was at sunset from the other side of the fountain in piazza del rotunda (it's likely to be closed by that point so you'll need to see the inside at some other time).

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I didn't find an official website for the Pantheon but did find some helpful information. Entrance is free to the public. The general hours are Monday-Saturday from 9am to 7:30pm and Sunday from 9am to 5:30pm. The Pantheon is a church so they do have services there. There is no metro nearby the Pantheon. You could take a bus but probably the best way is to walk. At least when you get there, you can relax at the Piazza Navona just west of the Pantheon (signs should be posted).

Besides the architectural awe of a building built in 27 BC (oldest church in Rome), the Pantheon is also a mausoleum of the royal family and renaissance artists.

Below is the link to a live webcam at the Pantheon!

There was a ton of restoration construction on the outside when we were there. But the inside was beautiful and breath taking to study. Free stop, its an active church so there are chairs that you can sit and admire the great architecture.

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If you have only one day in Rome (a tragedy if true) this is the thing to see. Do not be put off by the crowded entrance. Once inside there is a lot of room. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful interior spaces ever created by the hand of man.

Barbara bought me an Ipod last year. I use the heck out of it! This leads me to the last of my tip. You can down load and listen to Yale’s Professor Kleiner’s lectures on Roman Architecture. Her lecture on the Pantheon in particular is just fascinating and will greatly improve your appreciation of this world class building. I highly recommend that you down load and listen to it before you come to see the Pantheon.

http://oyc.yale.edu/history-of-art/roman-architecture/content/downloads

I believe it is episode 15

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Pantheon(pic 1) is one of the must-see sites in Rome so it was no surprise that we met with hordes of other tourists there. It is located at piazza della Rotonda(pic 5), a square full of tourists, locals and carriages that wait for those who want to see Rome on a romantic but expensive way.

On the square there is a marble fountain with an obelisk in the center, people using it as a meeting point. You can drink your coffee or have lunch at one of the cafes on the square (and pay the privilege for the view) but we preferred to go inside the Pantheon which an architectural masterpiece.

This amazing roman temple was built back in 126AD by Marcus Agrippa. There was another temple on the same spot that was burnt in 80AD so emperor Hadrian asked for a new one. It was dedicated to All The Gods of Ancient Rome. It’s the best preserved monument of Ancient Rome (and also the largest).

Although there’s a portico with 3 raws of Corinthian columns the main building is circular, check the back side (pic 4 taken from piazza della Minerva). Of course, you have to go inside to appreciate the beauty and scale of the temple but it was annoying with so many other people around (pic 2) but fortunately you can enjoy the “oculus”, the opening in the middle of the concrete dome(pic 3).

Since the 7th century turned into a catholic church and this is how it’s used today although you wont feel anything “religious” inside here with so many cameras clicking non stop next to you :) Photography is allowed inside.

The Pantheon has also been used as a tomb since the renaissance era. Famous people among the ones that were buried here are king Vittorio Emanuele II and the painter Raphael…

By the way there is only natural light inside (coming from the “octulus” and the door. The floor has a small angle so when it rains the water goes to the drains.
It’s open daily 8.30-19.30 and there’s no entrance fee

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The Pantheon was my biggest "must-sees." When you sit inside for a while, as we did while our friends wandered, the later decorative additions fade away in the presence of the enormity of the project.

One thing I learned from teaching history of art, was, that in addition to the dome being "coffered" to reduce the weight, the concrete itself was formulated to be lighter as the dome reaches for the top and that amazing occulus. I loved the piazza here--full of people, yes, but smaller and less tick-tack. If we hadn't been so tired we would have sat in a sidewalk cafe and enjoyed the view.

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There could not have been a better or more appropriate place to bury this exceptional man. Since the Renaissance period, the Pantheon, an ancient temple, has been a place where the illustrious dead were buried. Raphael himself had expressed desire to be buried there. Raphael died at 37 years of age, in 1520, and his body was immediately transferred here.

The tomb is located on the third chapel on the left side of the visitor entering the Pantheon. Behind and above the tomb is a statue called Madonna del Sasso by Lorenzo Lotto, a pupil of the great master done in 1523-34. In 1833, Pope Gregory VI ordered the opening of the grave to verify the existence of the body. It was found, and as a gift, the pope gave an ancient marble sarcophagus on which was inscribed ILLE HIC EST RAPHAEL TIMUIT QUO SOSPITE VINCI RERUM MAG PARENS ET MORIENTE MORI (Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die.)

For a man who gave so much beauty to the world in his short life, the tomb is quite simple, unpretentious, and i dare say, not even beautiful. Still, to stand in front of his tomb to pay homage to one of the world's greatest, is humbling.

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Sad to say I was't able to go inside as it as already closed. During my visit there was a major renovation going on the facade of the building. The interior is said to be ecclesiastic, but the marble floor - it's design features a series of geometric pattern is still the ancient Roman original.

Built more than 1800 years ago, the magnificent Pantheon building still stands as a reminder of the great Roman Empire.