Pantheon, Lazio, Italy

5Mairwen1 5:00 PM Jul 27, 2022

Pagan Temple, Christian Church & A Tomb
The Pantheon is Rome’s great survivor. Built by the Roman emperors Agrippa and Hadrian around 2000 years ago, it has survived Barbarian invaders, wars, fire, looting and the elements and has remained in almost constant use since. Be prepared that the queue can be horribly long. We stayed just around the corner and walked past the Pantheon often. Several times the queue was so long that we skipped it, thinking that we’d easily find another time when it was not so bad. This didn’t really work. The queue was always pretty long and the only way to beat it was to be there first thing in the morning. The inside is very different to the outside. From outside, the façade has all the typical features of a classical Roman temple including a portico, Corinthian columns and pediment. Inside, the dome is the real mind-boggler. It is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. Never been beaten. That is quite an engineering feat and it required a few building tricks to stop the weight of the dome from causing the whole thing to just fall inwards. To avoid collapse, they built the foundations and lower walls out of heavy stone like travertine, then as they built upwards, they made the concrete thinner and added pumice so that it was quite lightweight. Finally, as you look up, you stare straight into the the oculus, the ‘eye’ of the dome. It looks small but that’s a trick of the eye. It’s actually 8.2m across. It just looks small because the interior is so big. The sunlight streams through but equally, so does the rain. You can spot the holes in the centre of the floor that allow the water to drain away. It’s also worth noting that the marble floor tiles that you walk on are the original ancient Roman ones. Pretty incredible to think that the ancient Romans trod the same floor. Several noteworthy tombs are here including Raphael and the first kings of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto. TIPS: It's free to enter Monday-Friday (on weekends, you need to have booked at least 24 hours ahead). Masks are still required inside. There is no information inside so a guidebook or audioguide (€8.50) is pretty helpful here.

5Gretchen W 5:00 PM Jan 1, 2023

Christmas Eve Mass at the Pantheon
This was a lovely experience. It's free, and the music was especially beautiful, but dress warmly and be prepared to wait in line a long time to get in. We arrived at 11 pm and there were already about a hundred people in front of us. We waited outside an hour an a half. Only the first couple of hundred people get seats, and the Mass lasts an hour. But we felt it was worth it. A spiritual experience in an iconic setting, even if you are not Catholic.