The Pantheon is located in Rome, Italy and was origionally constructed by a man named Marcus Aggripa in 27BC, but due to a major fire Aggripa’s version does not exist anymore. It was not until the year 126 AD that the great Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon, leaving us the version we see today.
Since the King Dome in Seattle was demolished, the Pantheon is the only concerete dome that exists in the world today. The inside of the Pantheon is 43.2 meters in diameter and is exactly, to the millimeter, 43.2 meters from the floor to the top.
This amazing accuracy was intentional. The dimensions show that a sphere can fit directly into the Pantheon- a symbolic shape. Just as there is no begining and no end to a sphere, there was no begining and no end to the ancient Roman gods and goddesses.
There is a huge hole on the ceiling of the Pantheon called the Oculus which is completely open. A drainage system on the floor below was included in the design to handle the water that enters the Pantheon through the Oculus when it rains. The Romans said this was to allow the gods to come in as they choose, but there was an engineering reason behind the open Oculus as well. The opening in the ceiling ensures that sure the weight of the concrete would not force the dome to cave inwards.
There are many famous people buried in the Pantheon. The most noteworthy being the great Renaissance painter Raphael who died on the day of his birthday, 6 April 1520, aged 37.
To really put into perspective how old the Pantheon is, Michelangelo came to Rome for the first time when he was 23 years old. The first thing he wanted to see was the Pantheon. The Pantheon was already 1380 years old when Michelangelo saw it. Yet, Michelangelo complete the statue Of David only 11 years after America was discovered by Christopher Columbus.
Want to learn more or see the Pantheon for yourself? Join us on a Rome City Tour!