Sights and attractions, experience Pantheon in Rome - Lonely Planet Travel Information

Address
Piazza della Rotonda, Pigna
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Phone
06 683 00 230

Transport

bus: Largo di Torre Argentina
tram: Largo di Torre Argentina

Mon-Sat 09:00 - 19:30 , Sun 09:00 - 17:30

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Lonely Planet review

Marcus Agrippa's Pantheon is one of the world's most sublime architectural creations: a perfectly proportioned floating dome resting on an elegant drum of columns and pediments. Built in 27 BC, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 120 AD, it is one of Rome's best-preserved ancient monuments. Its extraordinary dome is the largest masonry vault ever built.

The temple has been consistently plundered and damaged over the years; it lost its beautiful gilded bronze roof tiles in Pope Gregory III's time, and in the 17th century, Pope Urban VIII allowed Bernini to melt down the bronze ceiling of the portico for the baldachin over the main altar of St Peter's.

After being abandoned under the first Christian emperors, the Pantheon was converted into a church in 609 and dedicated to the Madonna and all the martyrs.

The Italian kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I and the artist Raphael are buried here.

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The Pantheon is a spectacular piece of history and a remarkable architectural structure. The monstrous pillars guard the doorway and loom over you like they-know-you-know, they've been around the block a few times! Then you step inside and its like you've been transported into an ancient world - it's hard to believe its really been standing there for thousands of years. The wall carvings, statues and plaques are so intricate and well-preserved it really is beautiful! My partner and I aren't massive history buffs so 30 minutes was plenty of time for us to walk around and take lots of photos inside and outside but I'm sure if you're super knowledgeable about the history of the Pantheon you could spend hours in there! Also, the piazza right by The Pantheon is REALLY cute, I had a field day taking photos of the cute buildings and little alley ways off the piazza. There's a nice restaurant right there too although it appeared pretty pricey. Either way, I'd allow at least 30 minutes for The Pantheon - but if you're a history buff or a major architecture lover then you'll probably want lots more time!

Unlike St Peter's Basilica, the Pantheon, for me at least, seemed bigger from the outside than the inside. Not that it feels small when you're inside, under the dome. But the outside doesn't seem to cohere with the inside. I suppose this is something to do with the disjoint between the Roman architecture on the outside and the Roman Catholic symbolism on the inside. Or maybe it is simply how big the door seems once you get inside.