Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For the greatest look at the splendor of Rome, antiquity's best-preserved interior is a must.
Built two millennia ago, this influential domed temple served as the model for Michelan-
gelo's dome of St. Peter's and many others.
Because the Pantheon became a church dedicated to the martyrs just after the fall of
Rome, the barbarians left it alone, and the locals didn't use it as a quarry. The portico is
called “Rome's umbrella”—a fun local gathering in a rainstorm. Walk past its one-piece
granitecolumns(biggestinItaly,shippedfromEgypt)andthroughtheoriginalbronzedoors.
Sit inside under the glorious skylight and enjoy classical architecture at its best.
The dome, 142 feet high and wide, was Europe's biggest until the Renaissance.
Michelangelo'sdomeatSt.Peter's,whilemuchhigher,isaboutthreefeetnarrower.Thebril-
liance of this dome's construction astounded architects through the ages. During the Renais-
sance, Brunelleschi was given permission to cut into the dome (see the little square hole
above and to the right of the entrance) to analyze the material. The concrete dome gets thin-
ner and lighter with height—the highest part is volcanic pumice.
This wonderfully harmonious architecture greatly inspired Raphael and other artists of
the Renaissance. Raphael, along with Italy's first two kings, chose to be buried here.
The Pantheon is the only ancient building in Rome continuously used since its construc-
tion. When you leave, notice that the building is sunken below current street level, showing
how the rest of the city has risen on 20 centuries of rubble.
The nearest WCs are at bars and cafés on the Pantheon's square. Several reasonable eat-
eries are a block or two north up Via del Pantheon. Some of Rome's best gelato is nearby.
Cost and Hours:
Free, Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, Sun 9:00-18:00, holidays 9:00-13:00,
closed for Mass Sat at 17:00 and Sun at 10:30, audioguide-€5, tel. 06-6830-0230. You can
When to Go:
Try to get to the Pantheon first thing in the morning: While it's jammed
with people midday, you'll have it all to yourself before 9:00.
The
Church of San Luigi dei Francesi
has a magnificent chapel painted by Caravaggio
(free, daily 10:00-12:30 & 15:00-19:00 except closed Thu afternoon, between the Pantheon
and the north end of Piazza Navona). The only Gothic church in Rome is the
Church of
Santa Maria sopra Minerva,
with a little-known Michelangelo statue,
Christ Bearing the
Cross
(free, Mon-Fri 7:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-12:30 & 15:30-19:00, on a little square be-
hindPantheon,totheeast).The
ChurchofSanIgnazio,
severalblockseastofthePantheon,
is a riot of Baroque illusions with a false dome (free, Mon-Sat 7:30-19:00, Sun 9:00-19:00).
A few blocks away, across Corso Vittorio Emanuele, is the rich and Baroque
Gesù Church,
