Pantheon
Pantheon, Roman temple in Pigna district, Rome, Italy
The Pantheon is a Roman temple in the Pigna district of central Rome. The structure features a cylindrical brick rotunda measuring 43 meters in diameter, crowned by a hemispherical concrete vault with a central opening of 9 meters as the sole light source.
Marcus Agrippa built an initial temple here in 27 BCE, which was destroyed by fire under Emperor Domitian. Emperor Hadrian had the current building erected between 113 and 125 CE, and Pope Boniface IV consecrated it as a Christian church in 609, preventing medieval looting.
As a Catholic church, the building holds the tombs of Italian kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I, as well as the painter Raphael. Visitors experience both religious services and the quiet respect paid to these historical figures who shaped Italian national identity.
Entry is free and the building sits centrally in the old town, just a few minutes walk from Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain. Visitors should arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds and wear modest clothing as this remains an active church.
The vault was cast using Roman concrete with pozzolanic volcanic ash and graduated material layers, employing lighter pumice stone at the apex to reduce weight. This ancient technique allowed the unreinforced structure to endure nearly two millennia without steel reinforcement or modern support systems.
Location: Rome
Inception: 2 century
Architects: Apollodorus of Damascus
Architectural style: ancient Roman architecture
Height: 43.3 m
Length: 35 m
Width: 54.5 m
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Fee: Yes
Made from material: concrete
Address: Piazza della Rotonda
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 08:30-19:15; Sunday 09:00-17:45
Phone: +390668300230
Email: pm-laz@beniculturali.it
Website: http://pmlaz.beniculturali.it
GPS coordinates: 41.89861,12.47694
Latest update: December 2, 2025 21:02
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