The challenge this week is to look up. It would be very difficult to visit the Pantheon in Rome without doing that as the natural light that floods into the rotunda is provided by the oculus at the top of the dome and your eyes are drawn to it.
The dome of the Pantheon is the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, and if it were to be flipped upside down it would fit exactly inside the rotunda. It is an engineering marvel, supported on a series of intersecting arches, and the details of how it was constructed are extraordinary, with heavier materials and thicker walls used at the base of the dome gradually getting lighter and thinner all the way to the 27 ft diameter oculus at the top.
The oculus is open to the elements and when it rains the water falls onto the slightly curved floor and drains through the discreet drain holes and into the still functioning ancient Roman drainpipes beneath.
The Pantheon was built nearly 2000 years ago originally as a temple to all the pagan gods of Rome, which is how it got its name – Pan meaning everything, or all, and theion meaning divine or holy. In AD 606 it was given by the Emperor to Pope Boniface IV and has been used as a church ever since, in fact the building has been in constant use since it was constructed.
Approaching the building from the back, it doesn’t look particularly exciting at all, and doesn’t give any hint as to the wonders of the inside, but you can see the arches built into the design to give it strength.
At the front there is a grand pillared entrance.
Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the whole building but I found this great aerial view.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Yip
I used to be indecisive... 
July 12, 2016 at 10:38 am
What a beautiful, stunning and intricate piece of architecture. Interesting to read that it is partially open-air and those pipes at the bottom of it are still functioning today. Solid engineering from the past indeed. Great shots all round. So many angles and I bet it was marvelous to take it all in 🙂
July 23, 2016 at 12:52 pm
I think they knew how to build things to last in those days! It was a magnificent building – not particularly pretty from the outside, but the engineering of it more than made up for that.
July 12, 2016 at 4:42 pm
When I lived in Rome I used to go into the Pantheon to relax, absorb the cool air and press re-set on whatever was throwing me off-course. It is possibly my favourite building in the world and I thank you for these fabulous images of it 🙂
July 23, 2016 at 12:53 pm
I can see why you might like to go there to relax and recharge – it had a very calm ambience (except when noisy groups of tourists forgot where they were and spoke in loud voices!).
July 24, 2016 at 10:40 am
That’s a hazard with tourists everywhere!
July 25, 2016 at 12:20 pm
And Rome certainly has plenty of them! The quietest place we found, was right in the middle of St Peter’s square because all the crowds were standing in an orderly queue waiting to get into the Basilica. 🙂
July 25, 2016 at 1:16 pm
I remember being in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday …. then it seemed to be the most crowded but most blessèd place on earth as the people waited patiently for Il Papa to give his address. Yes, Rome is a unique place in so many ways and I very much yearn to return!
July 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Great shots of this amazing and vast structure, Elaine.
July 23, 2016 at 12:54 pm
It is almost impossible to imagine how they managed to construct something so perfect – but those Romans were clever!
July 12, 2016 at 9:27 pm
Every time we’ve visited a Roman structure in Europe I’ve been amazed by how clever and wondrous the engineering was. I haven’t been Rome yet, so I enjoyed learning about the Pantheon. Thanks, Elaine.
July 23, 2016 at 12:56 pm
I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Rome. I have been lucky enough to visit many interesting places, but Rome might possibly be at the top of my list. Round every corner there is some magnificent thing to look at – a building, a fountain, a statue, a market…
July 23, 2016 at 11:42 pm
It’s on my list!
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