Pantheon

An extraordinary temple erected 2,000 years ago and later converted into a Christian church, the Pantheon is the city’s best-preserved ancient monument and one of the most remarkable buildings in Western architecture.

If the grayish, pockmarked exterior shows the wear and tear of time, the interior provides a unique and exciting experience: that of stepping through the bronze doors and lifting one’s gaze to the largest dome ever built of unreinforced concrete.

• The Pantheon’s dome is the largest ever built of concrete without reinforcement.
• Brunelleschi was inspired by the Pantheon to design the dome of Florence Cathedral, and Michelangelo studied it to design the dome of St. Peter’s.
• Light enters from the Pantheon’s large oculus, but also rain: there are drainage holes under the pavement.
• The Pantheon houses the tomb of Raphael as well as those of Italian kings Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I and Queen Margaret of Savoy.

If you want to get the most out of your visit to the Pantheon, it is highly recommended that you book the official guided tour.
You will be accompanied by an experienced guide for a 45-minute tour to discover this incredible monument, its curiosities and all its secrets.

Important information:

• While booking, choose your time slot online, but try to arrive a little early to get through security;
• Remember to bring photo ID, paper or smartphone ticket and dress appropriately;
• The meeting point is the reception desk inside the Pantheon;
• Reductions are provided for children ages 8 to 14;
• Children up to 7 years old get in free.

To get the most out of your visit to Rome, it is very advantageous to purchase the Roma Tourist Card.

In addition to the audio guide on the Pantheon, you can visit other famous Roman attractions with the same pass: skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel; a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica; and priority admission to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.

Just select the dates of your stay in Rome and you will receive your tickets directly via Email.

What is included:

• An audio guide for an in-depth tour of the Pantheon.
• High-quality images and commentary by local experts.
• Offline interactive digital maps and navigation.

An extraordinary temple erected 2,000 years ago and later transformed into a Christian basilica, the Pantheon is the city’s best-preserved ancient monument and one of the most remarkable buildings in Western architecture.

If the grayish, pockmarked exterior shows the wear and tear of time, the interior provides a unique and exciting experience: that of stepping through the bronze doors and lifting one’s gaze to the largest dome ever built of unreinforced concrete.

Per quanto il Pantheon sia imponente visto dall’esterno, è solo entrando all’interno della chiesa che si apprezzano pienamente le dimensioni di questo magnifico edificio.

La prima cosa che si nota guardando in alto e l’oculus, l’apertura al centro della cupola. Attraverso questa apertura la luce penetra all’interno della chiesa e da la sensazione che l’intera struttura cilindrica rivestita in marmo sia enorme.

Questo è proprio un effetto voluto per aumentare il sentimento di soggezione degli uomini nei confronti degli dei.

Di fronte all’ingresso del Pantheon c’è l’altare maggiore sul quale spicca l’icona della Madonna con bambino del VI secolo. Sulla sinistra troverete la tomba di Raffaello con la Madonna del Sasso scolpita nel 1520 da Lorenzetto.

E proprio accanto ci sono le tombe di Umberto I e di Margherita di Savoia. Dalla parte opposta c’è la tomba di Vittorio Emanuele II.

The Pantheon dome is considered the most important architectural work of ancient Rome and still the largest ever built of concrete without reinforcement.

Its design and construction was calibrated with absolute precision: the diameter of 43.44 meters is exactly equal to the height of the building. This gives the pantheon incredible symmetry and a harmonious appearance.

The oculus in the center, besides symbolizing the connection between the temple and the gods, distributes the structural forces that are concentrated at the top of the dome.

The coffers that adorn the dome also serve to reduce its weight.

• The Pantheon’s dome is larger than that of St. Peter’s Basilica
• Michelangelo said the Pantheon was the work of angels and not men.
• The name Pantheon comes from the Greek: “pan,” “all,” and “theon.” “divine.”
• If it rains, head straight to the Pantheon: the view of rain coming in through the oculus, the large hole in the dome, is one of the most extraordinary things in Rome

• 27-25 B.C. Marcus Agrippa has the Pantheon built as a temple for pagan deities.
• A fire destroyed the Pantheon, and Emperor Domitian had it rebuilt in 80 AD.
• In 110 A.D. the Pantheon was struck by lightning and burned again.
• 118-125 AD. Hadrian had the Pantheon rebuilt as we know it today.
• In 609 AD Pope Boniface IV converted it into a Christian church and consecrated it to St. Mary and the Martyrs. Its status as a church saved it from neglect and destruction in later centuries.
• In 663 A.D. Byzantine Emperor Constantius II removed the golden tiles from the roof.
• During the Renaissance period important artists were buried there, including Raphael and Annibale Carracci.
• In 1632 Pope Urban VIII had the bronze ceiling of the portico cast, to be used to make the bombards for the fortification of Castel Sant’Angelo and for the canopy of St. Peter’s.
• After the reunification of Italy, the two kings chose to be buried in the Pantheon.
• Today, besides being a tourist attraction, the Pantheon is still in use as a Catholic church.

The Pantheon is located in Piazza della Rotonda, in the heart of Rome’s historic center, between Piazza Navona and Via del Corso.

Streetcar: line 8

Metro: Line A (nearest stops are ‘Barberini’ or ‘Spagna’)