Since the fall of Ancient Rome, very few buildings have remained, one of them is the temple of all the gods. Since the construction of the pantheon has undergone many restructures and transformations, but still remains majestic and attracting tourists. The architecture and decoration of the building is characterized by sophisticated minimalism and complete simplicity.
A bit of history
The Pantheon in Rome was built in the 126th century BC. The temple is a tribute to the gods who were believed in those times. The building was not the first that stood on this site: to the Pantheon, which survived to our times, stood almost the same. In 609, the church was consecrated by Christians and renamed the Church of Mary and Martyrs. The consecration was held on May 13, now on this day is celebrated All Saints Day. Later, in the VIII century, Pope Gregory III, consecrated one of the chapels. It happened on November 1, and All Saints Day was postponed to this date. Now all Catholics and Protestants celebrate this holiday on November 1.
Mausoleum
During the Renaissance, the Pantheon became a mausoleum. Many famous people wanted to be buried in this place, and several famous personalities were buried here:
- Raphael, the great Italian painter and sculptor.
- Umberto I, the second king of Italy from the Savoy dynasty, known in Russia as King Humbert.
- Victor Emmanuel II, king of the Sardinian kingdom and the first ruler of a united Italy of modern times.
general description
The Pantheon in Rome has a height of 42 meters. The main structure is a spacious rotunda, covered on top with a spherical dome, which is 45 meters in diameter. In the middle of the roof is a hole with a diameter of 9 meters. Calls him the "Eye of the Pantheon." The hole is of practical importance, serves as ventilation and as a light source. There is a legend associated with this hole: when the first Mass began, evil spirits began to look for a way out and made a hole to get out of the temple.
Visually, the dome does not put pressure on visitors, but on the contrary, it seems that it is a festively decorated sky. Inside the dome has numerous caissons (140 pieces). However, they allowed not only to decorate the arches, but also significantly reduce the mass of the structure. After all, the dome is made of ocher brown and white marble. The weight of the structure is at least 5 tons.
The entrance to the Temple of all Gods is represented by 16 columns. They are made of granite and Egyptian marble. The building itself was erected from lime slabs, which were then lined with marble. The walls of the building are 6 meters in thickness, otherwise they would not have supported the weight of the dome.
Initially, the dome was decorated with gilded and bronze plates. However, during the construction of the Roman Cathedral of St. Peter, the material for inlaying the altar was not enough, and it was borrowed from the Pantheon. The inlay was removed and melted. In compensation, the cathedral architect near the Pantheon in Rome installed two small bell towers. The people called them "donkey ears." In the XIX century, the belfry was dismantled.
The floor in the building is uneven. In the center of a small hill, with a slight slope to the edges. This was done on purpose so that water does not accumulate inside. There is also a drainage system under the floor, water that enters through 22 holes. Therefore, the Pantheon in Rome is never damp.
The structure has a rounded shape, not because the architect decided so, but because there was once a pool on this site, which was destroyed, but the foundation remained from it. It was he who became the basis for the construction of the sanctuary.
How to get to the shrine
The streets of Italy are very confusing and mostly narrow, but finding the Pantheon in Rome is quite simple. Moreover, modern technologies allow you not even to ask for help from people passing by, you turn on the navigator on your smartphone and follow his instructions. You can do it differently, purchase a card at a travel agency, where all the sights of the city are marked, or follow the flow of people. In the city there are signs everywhere that will not let you get lost.
If you use the subway, you need to get to the Colosseo station and transfer to the bus following route No. 87, get off at the Via Torre Argentina stop and walk literally 3 minutes along Torre Argentina.
Mode of operation
The Pantheon in Rome opens its doors to visitors at 9:00 in the morning and is open until 19.30. On Sundays - a reduced working day of 30 minutes, that is, the doors close at 19:00. On days when there are public holidays in the country, the temple is closed - this is January 01 and May, December 25. On other holidays, also reduced working hours - until 13:00. Last visitors are admitted 15 minutes before closing time.
It is recommended to arrive early, when the temple opens, then there are much fewer people than day and evening. Entrance to the Pantheon is free.
Behavior rules
As in any other holy place, tourists are required to follow a dress code. Legs above the knees and shoulders must not be open. If you came unprepared, then near the entrance there is a basket where there are scarves that can be wrapped around the waist and put on shoulders. Although, according to tourists, nobody is watching this, all the more it is impossible when there are a huge number of people in the temple. On the other hand, the Pantheon in Rome is still a sanctuary, therefore, open parts of the body are still regarded as disrespect for oneself and the gods.
You can’t bring here food and drinks, especially alcohol. The ministers of the temple are negative towards such behavior and will definitely make a remark. It is also recommended to disconnect the phone, but you can take pictures, and they don’t take money for it.
A Catholic Mass is held on Saturday within the walls of the temple. It starts at 10:30 or at 17:00, the exact schedule can be found on the information board at the entrance.
Last news
Increasingly, information is leaking into the media that entrance to the Pantheon from May 2018 will be paid and the ticket price will be 2 euros. It will not concern only parishioners who come here to pray and for Mass. Also, entrance will be prohibited for tourists during religious ceremonies. The Italian authorities justify this decision by the fact that the treasury is a huge burden for the content of the Pantheon.