Placed in Piazza
della Rotonda near Piazza Minerva it
was named Pantheon because it was a
temple dedicated to several
divinities. Thanks, first, to the
restoration by Domiziano, and then to
the reconstruction by Adriano in 130
A.D., it has remained nearly
integral. In 609 A.D. this temple was
given by Emperor Foca to Pope
Bonifacio IV and changed into a
church; this is the reason why it is
still in excellent conditions.Nearly
all what you can admire was built in
Roman age, even the dome, 43,4 metres
high, and the solid bronze door. The
arcade is decorated, inside, with
valuable polychrome marbles whereas
its façade has 16 monolithic
granitic columns which are 14 metres
high. Inside, the Pantheon has a
circular plan and a stately lacunar
dome. The only opening is in the
middle of the dome and creates a
luminous effect that exalts the
grandiosity and the harmony of this
monument. In its chapels there are
numerous works of art and the tombs
of thrItalian royal families, of
Baldassarre Peruzzi and Taddeo
Zuccari and, above all, there is
Raffaello's grave. |