The Pantheon in Rome: A Slice of History (Jane's Smart Art Guidesâ„¢)

One of the most original and influential masterpieces of architecture ever built, the Pantheon is testimony to the endurance of Western civilization, having witnessed and withstood two thousand years of history. Romans of the Empire prided themselves on the Pantheon as one of the wonders of their great capital and of the known world.

Fourteen centuries after it was built, Michelangelo said that the Pantheon “must have been designed by angels, not humans.”

With its traditional portico and pediment in front, and the massive dome soaring over a cylindrical sanctuary behind, the Pantheon is perhaps the most celebrated and widely-recognized monument in the world. It is unique in its grandeur, the genius of its construction, and its state of preservation.

What part Anthony & Cleopatra played in the history of the Pantheon;

Why – for almost 1900 years – this ‘temple to all the gods’ was attributed to Agrippa (who died in 12 B.C.), when it was actually built by Emperor Hadrian, circa 127 A.D.;

How such a massive, un-reinforced, poured-concrete dome was built – a feat never accomplished before or since – and why there is a huge hole in the roof;

Why -- while other buildings of the Roman Empire disintegrated into ruins -- the Pantheon remained standing, and how assaults by barbarians – as well as by “friends” – affected the building;

How and why the wall of the rotunda is so much higher outside than it is inside, and why we see windows on the exterior but none on the interior;

How the Pantheon expressed the religious and cultural beliefs of the Roman people, what it signified 2000 years ago, and what it signifies now; and