What materials were used to build the Pantheon?
- The shafts are made of Egyptian granite
- Capitals and bases were carved from white Greek marble
- The corinthian capital gives the structure an inctricate, decorative quality contarsting with the smooth,heavy shaft below
- The column heights and widths varied due to outsourced materials & labor from several locations
What is true about the Pantheon?
The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Rome. The structure, completed around 126-128 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, features a rotunda with a massive domed ceiling that was the largest of its kind when it was built.
What was the Pantheon made of?
The Pantheon, a 1,900-year-old Roman temple containing the world’s largest free-standing dome, is made primarily of concrete, volcanic rock and granite. The most remarkable part, the rotunda and dome, is made of concrete that includes lightweight pumice as part of the aggregate. The Pantheon was built to honor all of the Roman gods.
Who built the Roman pantheon?
The Pantheon in Rome is one of the most famous and well-preserved ancient buildings in the world. Originally built by Marcus Agrippa in 25 BC, the Pantheon served as a temple to the many gods of Rome.

When was the Pantheon created?
125 ADPantheon / Date opened
How old is the Pantheon in Italy?
1,897Pantheon / Age (c. 125 AD)
Who built the Pantheon in Italy?
statesman Marcus AgrippaThe Pantheon is situated on the site of an earlier structure of the same name, built around 25 B.C. by statesman Marcus Agrippa, and is thought to have been designed as a temple for Roman gods.
When and why was the Pantheon built?
The Pantheon as it is known today was actually built on the site of another Pantheon that served as a temple for all the Roman gods. The first building was built by Marcus Agrippa around 27 AD to celebrate the victory of his father-in-law, the emperor Augustus, at Actium over Antony and Cleopatra.
What's the oldest building in Italy?
The Pantheon" The Pantheon is the oldest building in the world that's still in use today. Since the 7th century, it has been a Roman Catholic church. Built around 125 A.D. by the Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus, it was actually the third iteration of the structure.
What is oldest building in Rome?
the temple of Hercules VictorThe oldest building standing in Rome is the temple of Hercules Victor and dates back to the second century BC and today represents the oldest building in Rome still standing. This temple is sometimes still referred to as the Temple of Vesta and the error is due to its circular shape which makes it similar […]
How did the Pantheon burn down?
The Pantheon was built on the exact site of two earlier Pantheon buildings, one commissioned by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (27-25 BCE) and the second by Domitian. The first was destroyed by fire in 80 CE and the second was struck by lightning in 110 CE and again burned down.
Why is there a hole in Pantheon?
At the highest point, the oculus – the nine-metre-wide circular hole in the roof – actually saves crucial weight at the dome's most vulnerable point. It's also exactly as high as it is wide, meaning that the interior of the Pantheon perfectly fits a 43.3m-diameter sphere.
Does it rain inside the Pantheon?
Another beautiful effect takes place at Pentecost when rose petals are sprinkled through the oculus after the annual mass. Obviously being open to the elements means it also rains inside the Pantheon but a gently sloping floor and 22 well-hidden holes help the water to drain away.
How many gods are in the Pantheon?
12Although any polytheistic religion (religion with multiple deities) can have a pantheon – and they existed in Norse, Aztec and Sumerian cultures to name a few – we're taking a look at the classical pantheon, and the 12 major deities included in it.
Who is buried in the Parthenon?
Among those buried in its necropolis are Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Louis Braille, Jean Jaurès and Soufflot, its architect.
What is Pantheon famous for?
The Pantheon is famous for being the most preserved monument of ancient Rome. It was constructed as a temple dedicated to the Gods and became the burial ground for several important people including famous artists and kings.
How old is Italy?
The country is known for its more than 3,000 years of history, in 753 BC. Rome was founded. Italy was a center of ancient Greco-Roman culture, and in the 15th-century, they invented the Renaissance. Caesar, Galileo and Columbus were Italians.
When was the Bronze Age in Italy?
Italy. The Italian Bronze Age is conditionally divided into four periods: The Early Bronze Age (2300–1700 BC), the Middle Bronze Age (1700–1350 BC), the Recent Bronze Age (1350–1150 BC), the Final Bronze Age (1150–950 BC). During the second millennium BC, the Nuragic civilization flourished in the island of Sardinia.
Who were the first humans in Italy?
The very first people to settle in what is now known as Italy arrived nearly half a million years ago and were the Neanderthals, followed later by our modern human ancestors.
How old is the Colosseum?
1,952Colosseum / Age (c. 70 AD-80 AD)
When was the Pantheon founded?
On 23 July 1725 , the Pantheon was established as Cardinal-deaconry of S. Maria ad Martyres, i.e. a titular church for a cardinal-deacon .
Where did the name Pantheon come from?
The name "Pantheon" is from the Ancient Greek "Pantheion" (Πάνθειον) meaning "of, relating to, or common to all the gods": (pan- / "παν-" meaning "all" + theion / "θεῖον"= meaning "of or sacred to a god"). Cassius Dio, a Roman senator who wrote in Greek, speculated that the name comes either from the statues of many gods placed around this building, or from the resemblance of the dome to the heavens. His uncertainty strongly suggests that "Pantheon" (or Pantheum) was merely a nickname, not the formal name of the building. In fact, the concept of a pantheon dedicated to all the gods is questionable. The only definite pantheon recorded earlier than Agrippa's was at Antioch in Syria, though it is only mentioned by a sixth-century source. Ziegler tried to collect evidence of pantheons, but his list consists of simple dedications "to all the gods" or "to the Twelve Gods", which are not necessarily true pantheons in the sense of a temple housing a cult that literally worships all the gods.
What is the Roman temple?
Roman temple. Related. Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Hadrian, Apollodorus of Damascus. Pantheon . The Pantheon ( UK: / ˈpænθiən /, US: /- ɒn /; Latin: Pantheum, from Greek Πάνθειον Pantheion, " [temple] of all the gods") is a former Roman temple and since the year 609 a Catholic church (Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres or Basilica of St.
What is the square in front of the Pantheon called?
The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda. The Pantheon is a state property, managed by Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism through the Polo Museale del Lazio. In 2013, it was visited by over 6 million people.
What is the name of the church in front of the Pantheon?
The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda. The Pantheon is a state property, managed by Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism through the Polo Museale del Lazio. In 2013, it was visited by over 6 million people.
How tall was the Pantheon's porch?
Mark Wilson Jones has attempted to explain the design adjustments carried out in relating the porch to the dome, arguing that the Pantheon's porch was originally designed for monolithic granite columns with shafts 50 Roman feet tall (weighing about 100 tonnes) and capitals 10 Roman feet tall in the Corinthian style. The taller porch would have hidden the second pediment visible on the intermediate block. Instead, after the intended columns failed to arrive, the builders made many awkward adjustments in order to use shafts 40 Roman feet tall and capitals eight Roman feet tall. This substitution was probably a result of logistical difficulties at some stage in the construction. Alternatively, it has also been argued that the scale of the portico related to the urban design of the space in front of the temple. The grey granite columns that were actually used in the Pantheon's pronaos were quarried in Egypt at Mons Claudianus in the eastern mountains. Each was 11.9 metres tall, 1.5 metres in diameter, and 60 tonnes in weight. These were dragged more than 100 km (62 miles) from the quarry to the river on wooden sledges. They were floated by barge down the Nile River when the water level was high during the spring floods, and then transferred to vessels to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Roman port of Ostia. There, they were transferred back onto barges and pulled up the Tiber River to Rome. After being unloaded near the Mausoleum of Augustus, the site of the Pantheon was still about 700 metres away. Thus, it was necessary to either drag them or to move them on rollers to the construction site.
How many people visited the Pantheon in 2013?
In 2013, it was visited by over 6 million people. The Pantheon's large circular domed cella, with a conventional temple portico front, was unique in Roman architecture. Nevertheless, it became a standard exemplar when classical styles were revived, and has been copied many times by later architects.
Who built the Pantheon?
Who built the pantheon and when – The first version of the Rome Italy Pantheon was built between 27 and 25 B.C. by the consul Agrippa, Pr efect of the Emperor Augustus. In 80 A.D. the pantheon burned to the ground. The emperor Hadrian (A.D 117-138) built the current version of the Pantheon to replace one that Agrippa built.
Where is the Pantheon in Rome?
Where is the pantheon – it is right in the center of downtown Rome, just between the via del Corso and piazza Navona on piazza della Rotonda.
What are the must see places in Rome?
In my 3-day itinerary, you'll see all the major must-see Rome attractions like the Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Castel Sant'Angelo, and much more.
What is the best preserved building in Rome?
The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved buildings from Ancient Rome you can visit in Rome.
What was the Pantheon used for in Ancient Rome?
Originally, the Pantheon was a Roman temple dedicated to worshipping the planetary gods (the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars) in Roman times. Around the 7th century A.D., the pantheon was turned into a church. In fact, it has been in continuous use since it was first built, which is probably one of the reasons it is so intact.
What does the pantheon mean?
Is it still in use today? – the word “pantheon” comes from Greek, and means “all the things you believe in ” Literally, pan, "everything" and theon, "divine". Originally, the Pantheon was a Roman temple dedicated to worshipping the planetary gods (the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars) in Roman times.
How high is the dome?
The dome is as high as it is wide (about 141 feet; or 43.2m.) If completed, it would be a perfect sphere. (This was supposedly done to represent the vault of heaven.)
Where is the Pantheon?
The Pantheon is one of the most recognized, and oldest monuments still standing in Rome, Italy. With this post, we’ll learn together about the story and history of the Pantheon in Rome.
What does the opening in the Pantheon mean?
The opening is meant to symbolize the eye of heaven looking down over the temple, and being “all-seeing” to the world below.
How many levels of granite are there in the Pantheon?
There are three different levels of granite columns, and bronze doors that have remained in the Pantheon for over 1,800 years. The height of the dome is exactly equal to the diameter of the circular interior of the building. It’s amazing to think back under what conditions the Pantheon was originally built under. All that along with seeing what the early Romans were able to create so many years ago!
Is the Pantheon open to the public?
Visiting the Pantheon is free to the public, and the pantheon welcomes tour groups of all shapes and sizes, although in 2019 there were rumors about a possible fee to enter the Pantheon. There are several different tour options available in several different languages, so everyone should be able to enjoy a trip.
Is the Pantheon a tourist attraction?
If you are visiting Italy, especially Rome, then visiting the Pantheon is something that you really must do. The Pantheon is a tourist attraction that pulls in people from around the world. It’s also something that everyone who visits Rome usually goes to see, but there is a good reason why. You will undoubtedly run into a good deal of tourists when you make your trek, so come prepared to deal with the crowds.
Where is the Pantheon in Rome?
The Pantheon is in central Rome on the Piazza della Rotonda. The nearest metro station is Barberini, a 15 minute walk away and buses stop 5 minutes away on the Corso del Rinascimento. It’s walking distance from the Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain.
What was the Pantheon used for?
In the Middle Ages the Pantheon was also used as a burial chamber for notable figures like Raphael and even Italian kings. Its famous dome was much studied in the Renaissance as architects sought to replicate similar freestanding domes elsewhere in Italy and was used an an architectural blueprint for millennia..
What is the most well preserved ancient building in the world?
About Pantheon. The Pantheon in Rome is one of the most famous and well-preserved ancient buildings in the world.
Is the Pantheon open for mass?
The Pantheon today. One of the most iconic and awe-inspiring buildings of the ancient world, the Pantheon is free to visit today – it’s closed for Mass on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings.
When was the Pantheon built?
Instead of the great triumph of Hadrianic design, the Pantheon should more rightly be seen as the final architectural glory of the Emperor Trajan’s reign: substantially designed and rebuilt beginning around 114, with some preparatory work on the building site perhaps starting right after the fire of 110, and finished under Hadrian sometime between 125 and 128.
Who built the Pantheon?
The conventional understanding of the Pantheon. A traditional rectangular temple, first built by Agrippa. The conventional understanding of the Pantheon’s genesis, which held from 1892 until very recently, goes something like this. Agrippa built the original Pantheon in honor of his and Augustus’ military victory at the Battle ...
Who designed the Pantheon?
We do not know who designed the Pantheon, but Apollodorus of Damascus, Trajan’s favorite builder, is a likely candidate—or, perhaps, someone closely associated with Apollodorus. He had designed Trajan’s Forum and at least two other major projects in Rome, probably making him the person in the capital city with the deepest knowledge about complex architecture and engineering in the 110s. On that basis, and with some stylistic and design similarities between the Pantheon and his known projects, Apollodorus’ authorship of the building is a significant possibility.
What was the Pantheon associated with?
Whatever its original purposes, the Pantheon by the time of Trajan and Hadrian was primarily associated with the power of the emperors and their divine authority . Pantheon dome (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) The symbolism of the great dome adds weight to this interpretation.
Why did Agrippa build the Pantheon?
Agrippa built the original Pantheon in honor of his and Augustus’ military victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C.E.—one of the defining moments in the establishment of the Roman Empire (Augustus would go on to become the first Emperor of Rome). It was thought that Agrippa’s Pantheon had been small and conventional: a Greek-style temple, ...
What is the Pantheon in Rome?
The Pantheon in Rome is a true architectural wonder. Described as the “sphinx of the Campus Martius”—referring to enigmas presented by its appearance and history, and to the location in Rome where it was built—to visit it today is to be almost transported back to the Roman Empire itself. The Roman Pantheon probably doesn’t make popular shortlists of the world’s architectural icons, but it should: it is one of the most imitated buildings in history. For a good example, look at the library Thomas Jefferson designed for the University of Virginia.
Why is the Pantheon called the Pantheon?
It has this name, perhaps because it received among the images which decorated it the statues of many gods, including Mars and Venus; but my own opinion of the name is that, because of its vaulted roof, it resembles the heavens.
When was the Pantheon of Rome built?
The original Pantheon of Rome was built between 27 & 25 BCE, under the consulship of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. It was dedicated to 12 gods of heaven and focused on Augustus’ cult and Romans believed that Romulus ascended to heaven from this spot. Agrippa’s structure, which was rectangular, was destroyed in 80 CE and what we see today is ...
Who built the Pantheon?
The identity of the architect behind the Pantheon is unknown, but most scholars attribute it to Apollodorus of Damascus. The parts of Hadrian’s Pantheon are a columned porch (8 massive granite Corinthian columns in front, two groups of four behind), an intermediate area of brick, and finally the monumental dome. The Pantheon’s dome is the largest surviving dome from antiquity; it was also the largest dome in the world until Brunelleschi’s dome on the Duomo of Florence was completed in 1436.
How big is the Oculus in the Pantheon?
Oculus of the Pantheon. The central point of the Pantheon is far above visitors’ heads: the great eye, or oculus, in the room. It looks small, but it’s 27ft across and the source of all light in the building — symbolic of how the sun is the source of all light on earth.
Why is the Pantheon still used today?
One reason why the Pantheon has survived in such remarkable shape while other structures are gone may be the fact that Pope Boniface IVI consecrated it as a church dedicated to Mary and the Martyr Saints in 609. This is the official name which it continues to bear today and masses are still celebrated here. The Pantheon has also been used as a tomb: among those buried here are the painter Raphael, the first two kings, and first queen of Italy. Monarchists maintain a vigil at these latter tombs.
How did the Pantheon affect religion?
It’s also possible that the Pantheon has had an impact on Western religion: the Pantheon appears to be the first temple built with general public access in mind. Temples of the ancient world were generally limited only to specific priests; the public may have taken part in religious rituals in some fashion, but mostly as observers and outside the temple. The Pantheon, however, existed for all the people — a feature which is now standard for houses of worship in all religions of the West.
Why is the Pantheon called a perfect space?
The Pantheon has been called a “perfect” space because the diameter of the rotunda is equal to that of its height (43m, 142ft). The purpose of this space was to suggest geometrical perfection and symmetry in the context of a perfect universe. The interior space could fit perfectly either in a cube or in a sphere. The massive interior room is designed to symbolize the heavens; the oculus or Great Eye in the room is designed to symbolize the light- and life-giving sun.
What does the name of the Pantheon mean?
Inside, the Pantheon is among the most impressive in existence. Its inscription, M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIUM·FECIT, means Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this.
When was the Pantheon built?
Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images. Built around 125 A.D. by the Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus, it was actually the third iteration of the structure. The first Pantheon caught fire around 80 A.D. and was rebuilt shortly after, but it was struck by lightning and burned down again around 110 A.D.
What is the Pantheon?
The Pantheon was an architectural marvel of the Roman Empire. The oculus -- Latin for "eye" -- stretches 30 feet across, opening the structure to the heavens. The sun beams through the oculus, and when it storms, the rain comes down like a waterfall into the interior.
How was it built?
The oculus – Latin for “eye” – stretches 30 feet across, opening the structure to the heavens. The sun beams through the oculus, and when it storms, the rain comes down like a waterfall into the interior.
What buildings were referenced by Neoclassical architects?
Centuries later, Neoclassical architects would reference the Pantheon's portico and dome combination to imbue their buildings with those same values, from the US Capitol in Washington, DC., to the Somerset House in London. Metz Cathedral at 800: The extraordinary art and architecture of 'God's Lantern'.
What is the oldest building in the world?
The Pantheon is the oldest building in the world that's still in use today. Since the 7th century, it has been a Roman Catholic church. 1/8. Moscow, Russia -- St Basil's Cathedral was built during the 16th century by Ivan IV or, as he was nicknamed, Ivan the Terrible.
Who cast doubt on the holiness of the Pantheon?
During the Middle Ages, religious leaders , who were incredulous of the feat, cast doubt on the holiness of the Pantheon, believing it to be the work of the devil.
Was the Pantheon a temple?
With scant mentions of it in Ancient texts, historians have been left somewhat in the dark. Though it could be a temple, Roman buildings were typically multi-purpose structures, said Lynne Lancaster, an architectural historian and humanities educator. "And so what actually went on in the Pantheon is hard to say."
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Discover with us the temple of all Gods in Rome, this itinerary leads us to the discovery the oldest temples in the world still in use today but as a church: the Pantheon .
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Overview
The Pantheon is a former Roman temple and, since 609 AD, a Catholic church (Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres or Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs) in Rome, Italy, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). It was rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated c. 126 AD. Its date of construction is uncertain…
Etymology
The name "Pantheon" is from the Ancient Greek "Pantheion" (Πάνθειον) meaning "of, relating to, or common to all the gods": (pan- / "παν-" meaning "all" + theion / "θεῖον"= meaning "of or sacred to a god"). Cassius Dio, a Roman senator who wrote in Greek, speculated that the name comes either from the statues of many gods placed around this building, or from the resemblance of t…
History
In the aftermath of the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Marcus Agrippa started an impressive building program: the Pantheon was a part of the complex created by him on his own property in the Campus Martius in 29–19 BC, which included three buildings aligned from south to north: the Baths of Agrippa, the Basilica of Neptune, and the Pantheon. It seems likely that the Pantheon and the Basilic…
Cardinal deaconry
On 23 July 1725, the Pantheon was established as Cardinal-deaconry of S. Maria ad Martyres, i.e. a titular church for a cardinal-deacon.
On 26 May 1929, this deaconry was suppressed to establish the Cardinal Deaconry of S. Apollinare alle Terme Neroniane-Alessandrine.
Structure
The building was originally approached by a flight of steps. Later construction raised the level of the ground leading to the portico, eliminating these steps.
The pediment was decorated with relief sculpture, probably of gilded bronze. Holes marking the location of clamps that held the sculpture suggest that its design was likely an eagle within a wreath; ribbons extended from the wreath i…
Catholic additions
The present high altars and the apses were commissioned by Pope Clement XI (1700–1721) and designed by Alessandro Specchi. Enshrined on the apse above the high altar is a 7th-century Byzantine icon of the Virgin and Child, given by Phocas to Pope Boniface IV on the occasion of the dedication of the Pantheon for Christian worship on 13 May 609. The choir was added in 1840, and was designed by Luigi Poletti.
Influence
As the best-preserved example of an Ancient Roman monumental building, the Pantheon has been enormously influential in Western architecture from at least the Renaissance on; starting with Brunelleschi's 42-metre (138 ft) dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, completed in 1436.
Among the most notable versions are the church of Santa Maria Assunta (1664…
See also
• Romanian Athenaeum
• Panthéon, Paris
• Pantheon, Moscow (never built)
• Manchester Central Library