The Pantheon is one of Rome’s most famous and best conserved monuments. Its history begins in 27 B.C.E. when Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa built a temple dedicated to “all the gods” in the area occupied by the piazza della Rotonda today. The piazza was opened years later during the reign of Hadrian who rebuilt and enlarged the temple between 118 and 125 C.E., changing its orientation. In the early 7th century, the temple was converted into a Christian basilica called Santa Maria ad Martyres. In 1870 it became the shrine for Italy’s Kings and contains the tombs of Vittorio Emanuele II, Umberto I and Margherita di Savoia in addition to numerous artists including Raphael.
The building is cylindrical with a front portico whose Corinthian columns support the pediment. The large circular space is enclosed by thick brick walls with eight great pylons bearing the weight of the hemispherical limestone cupola, larger than that of the Basilica of St. Peter’s, whose central oculus, 8.92m in diameter, allows natural light to penetrate and illuminate the entire building. On the summer solstice, sunlight enters through the opening and projects an enormous disc of light onto the floor with the same diameter as the oculus. The building is as tall as the diameter of the cupola, a little over 43m. The basilica is today a church where Christian rites are celebrated.
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