Pantheon, Rome

The Pantheon in Rome is an ancient temple originally built to honor the Roman gods and reconstructed in its current form by Emperor Hadrian around 118-125 AD. It is located in the historic center of Rome and is notable for its exceptionally well-preserved classical architecture.

The building’s most famous feature is its large circular rotunda capped by a single-span concrete dome 43.3 meters (142 feet) in diameter with a central oculus about 8.2 meters (27 feet) across that admits natural light and rain. The portico bears the inscription attributing the original dedication to Marcus Agrippa and leads into the vast interior where tombs and later Christian altars are set within the rotunda.

The current Pantheon replaced an earlier structure commissioned by Marcus Agrippa in the late first century BC; Hadrian retained Agrippa’s inscription when he rebuilt the temple in the early 2nd century AD. In 609 AD the building was consecrated as the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres, a status that contributed to its preservation through the centuries.

The Pantheon sits at the Piazza della Rotonda in central Rome, within walking distance of other major ancient and Renaissance landmarks. Its central location in the Centro Storico makes it one of the most visited and easily accessed monuments in the city.

• Dome and oculus dimensions: The dome's diameter is 43.3 meters (142 feet) and the oculus at its center measures about 8.2 meters (27 feet) across, making the interior a perfect hemisphere in height and diameter.
• Continuity of use: Converted into the Christian church Santa Maria ad Martyres in 609 AD, the building has been in continuous use and is among the best-preserved ancient Roman structures in Rome.

What to See #

• Portico and inscription: The portico with its classical columns and the surviving Augustan inscription crediting Marcus Agrippa, which faces the Piazza della Rotonda.
• Rotunda and dome: The circular rotunda topped by a monolithic concrete dome 43.3 meters (142 feet) in diameter, with a central oculus 8.2 meters (27 feet) across that admits natural light.
• Tombs and chapels: Burial chapels and memorials inside the interior that include the tomb of the painter Raphael and later Italian royal tombs and monuments added after the building became a church.