The Pantheon

Is there not a building in Rome that the Catholics haven’t turned into a church?  On our last full day in Rome we visited the Pantheon.

The front of the Pantheon, called a portico, has been copied relentlessly in the ages since its construction.

Visiting the Pantheon is free, and I would recommend going to it because it is one of the best-preserved pieces of Roman architecture.

The oculus is 30 feet in diameter and is open to the sky which allows for some rain to enter the structure.  There are holes and a slope to the floor that accommodate the drainage of the water.

Pantheon facts

• Pantheon is a Greek word that means “honor all gods” and the temple was probably built to do just that.
• The dome of the Pantheon is the world’s largest unsupported dome.
• The Pantheon was converted into a church in 609 CE which prevented it from being destroyed during the middle ages by Christians.
• Raphael is buried inside the Pantheon with his fiancé.

When you are in the Pantheon you must be quiet, and they have a recordings of “shh” sounds and the word “quiet” in multiple languages.  While you might be having fun on your vacation, have fun outside the Pantheon rather than inside.  Loudness might be misconstrued for joy which the church has fought a centuries long war against.