Walking the Pantheon in Rome

Although there are ruins of Rome's most ancient structures at every turn, the Pantheon stands out for its age-old power. In Greek the term "Pantheon" means "to all the gods," and services and sacrifices to the Roman gods were held in the structure.

Since the temple has no windows, it looks very mysterious, it is illuminated by the sun's rays, which penetrate through the hole in the dome. The wide window is not glazed; it is assumed that earlier in the day the sunlight fell alternately on the statues of Mars, Jupiter, Venus and other gods, installed in a special order in niches. The dome of the Roman Pantheon is notable for the fact that in section it is a precise semicircle which rests on the walls.

When visiting the Pantheon, it is best to enter through the granite columns. Be sure to walk around the back of the temple - the age of the building is easy to feel when looking at the powerful walls, covered with centuries-old scars. The ideal conclusion to the walk is to relax in one of the cafes nearby. This place is considered one of the noisiest and most curious in the city.

In the center of the site is an Egyptian obelisk with Ramses, tourists can sit on its steps.

There was once a pagan temple on the site of the Roman Pantheon. Marcus Agrippa began new construction in 27 B.C. At first it was a pool for Agrippa's baths, after a while the building was destroyed. Only after reconstruction by Emperor Hadrian was the Pantheon recognized as a temple for the worship of the gods. Construction took place under the direction of Apollodorus of Damascus. The building was a rotunda with a dome, a pediment and a rectangular portico.

The Roman Pantheon has always inspired and fascinated architects. For 200 years its dome was the largest in the world. It was made of stone slabs with rectangular recesses to reduce the weight of the structure. A portico with monolithic columns of Greek marble and Egyptian granite forms the entrance to the temple. The ceiling of the portico is finished in bronze. The African marble served as a material for facing walls and a threshold of the temple. The walls contain niches in which the statues of the deities stood.