Tuesday 16 February 2016

Pantheon, Rome, Italy

Pantheon, Rome, Italy
Rating: 5 out of 5

This building never ceases to fascinate me. You just cannot walk without consistently looking up. We went during the day to be greeted by a ray of sunlight protruding from the“oculus”,  a 9- metre round aperture at the very top of the dome that illuminates the entire building.

 The floor has 22 virtually invisible holes for water to disappear in if it rains.
The Pantheon was originally built for the purpose of worshiping of every god (Pan-every Theon-divinity).  Statesman and General Marcus Agrippa was responsible for the construction of the original church and there is a dedicatory inscription to him on the Pantheon's magnificent portico.

In 609, The Pantheon was converted into a Christian Church by Pope Boniface IV (truly fulfilling its original purpose of being dedicated to the worship of every God!)
 Currently, it is the location of the tombs of Vittorio Emanuele II, Umberto I and Margherita of Savoy as well as Raphael
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