Pantheon, Rome

Innitially a pagan temple devoted to all gods worshiped in the ancient Rome (PAN-all, TEOS-gods). Their statues were displayed inside the building. In 609 it became a Christian church and obviously the statues of gods had to give way. In 1520 Panteon became the resting place to Rafael, according to his will.

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No, the title is not a golf reference, rather its paying homage to the unique hole in the ceiling that the Pantheon boasts. The Pantheon is a marvel in engineering, how the people of ancient Rome could construct such a building is a complete mystery, a mystery as depth defying as a hole in one on a par five...finally a golf reference! The Pantheon can't really be described, rather it simply must be seen in person. The Pantheon is centrally located in Rome and is in a square surrounded by cafe's and gelato shops. During the day the Pantheon is always jam packed with people but at night the traffic thins. I would recommend seeing the Pantheon at different times of the day as the shadows and sunlight shining through the big hole in the roof is a sight to see!

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Completed around 125 AD, the Pantheon on Piazza della Rotonda is the most fully intact ancient Roman structure in the city. Open daily until 6:30 pm, the Pantheon is free to visit and well worth seeing. Plan on spending thirty minutes or so looking around unless you are a real history buff.

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Signified a monument to all ancient Gods of the Romans. I was built in 27 BC., and rebuilt by Hadrian by128 AD, taking 10 years to finish. The width is 142 feet, and height 142 feet. The 18 foot roof opening is the only source of light. When the animals were sacrificed, it acted as a chimney. The floor slopes to allow for drainage for when it rains, water does come through from the roof opening. The temple became a Christain church in 609, but gave way to tourism in 1800's. The most impressive is the inside walls are ringed with statues of famous artists and heroes of Rome. like Raphaels, and 2 kings. No, no pictures by us. I regret now.

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This square and this monument are two of my favourite things in Rome. Can't quite explain why; maybe it's because the square is little and so colourful, and Pantheon is so small and yet so interesting. The combination of the two things makes this a mandatory place to visit in Rome.

The square is always full of people and it's a great place to relax, drink some water from the little fountain and do some people watching. There's also a McDonalds there for those who are interested :-) It was the only one I went in Rome.

The Pantheon is superb; as soon as you pass the big columns on the entrance, your attention will be immediately drawn to the impressive dome. The whole on its top it's the only light in the building, and it was guaranteed to me that, even though it's open, it doesn't rain inside! I'll have to check this next time ;-)

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I do not remember when I have heard first time about the Pantheon. I was anyway wishing all the time to visit it sometime when I will grow up. I was at last there on December 2006 ...
I was really surprised about the greatness of the Pantheon and I was never imagining the real feeling that the Gods are somewhere around… looking at me from the bolted ceiling…

Some facts about it… just few because you have to read books about it if you really want to be well informed:)
It was built around the year 27 AD like a “temple of all gods”, as the Greek name is meaning, and completely burned in 80 AD.
The actual building is standing-out from 125 AD (Emperor’s Hadrian reign) and this is impressive in my opinion. During its history it was used like temple, Christian church (in 609 AD), tomb (Raphael is buried here) and now it is used as a church again.

One of the oldest buildings in the world that is still in use, the Pantheon is a most cool building. In addition to the throngs, I saw a wedding in it one morning. Cool fountain in front, but that hole in the top. What were they thinking? Didn't they realize it rained in Rome? The place is an absolute zoo most of the day and in the evening. There are many great gelato places close by. We found a place with cold beer that was just down the street. In the afternoon having a cold beer makes is a lot easier to enjoy the Pantheon.

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Well, this was the first excursion on the tour of Italy trip I took. I actually had no idea what it was. Twenty-one year old American girl...I didn't know! I am glad I had a guided tour because I would not have known anything remotely about it. In fact, I had to look up the information for this post but what can ya do?

Turns out it was built 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa then reconstructed by Hadrian in the early 2d century A.D. It is actually the most complete ancient Roman building remaining today and one of its architectural wonders. Something about the dome...And, Raphael's tomb is here! Now, I am not that big on artists but I know he was a good one because a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was named after him!! If that's not famous I don't know what is.....

You're thinking, "What a silly American girl with no brains..." Well, I have some gossip for you. Turns out, Raphael would spend all his fortunes on alcohol and prostitutes. OH NO, not female...male! It turns out he died of what we now know as syphalis, an STD (sexually transmitted disease)!

WARNING: I almost coin this as a tourist trap although with the facts it's hard to pass up. Please know, it is close to impossible to get a great picture. There are modern cafes all around the front and it is in a small piazza. Therefore, all pictures (unless you're really lucky) will have people's heads and faces in them. What can ya do? 27 B.C.!! Also, I went later in the afternoon and it was very dark inside. I'm not sure if it is that way at all times but make sure you have FLASH on your camera!

*Information about historical facts taken from 1000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz.