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Pantheon |
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2000 Italia: Pantheon
The Pantheon (Temple to All Gods), in the Piazza Rotondo, contains the largest dome in Rome, even larger than St. Peter's.
Atop the proscenium you'll find the inscription "M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM. FECIT". Translated from the Latin it says "Marcus Agrippa, son (F) of Lucius, Consul (COS) for the third time (Tertium), built this." Agrippa probably did build the first Pantheon, but Hadrian rebuilt it entirely. Hadrian, modest by Roman standards, never had his name inscribed on any of his buildings. He honored Agrippa's fame by repeating the original inscription on the new structure. Inside the Pantheon you'll see crypts, Christian prayer areas, and the burial place of Vittorio Emmanuele II.
The first time I visited the Pantheon there was a restoration staff doing work on the interior inscriptions.
 Isaac and Cicki were outside, captivated by the wares offered by one vendor. The object of their attention was a motorized cat, which might have been difficult to resist, but for the eerie green light-emitting diodes in the eyes (which seemed to frighten every child under ten). Isaac seemed happy to leave it behind in favor of a cheese and bread plate at a nearby gellateria.
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I think the most impressive feature of the Pantheon is the façade, but such a large dome in the ancient structure is pretty awe-inspiring. Better yet is the huge oculus (hole) in the ceiling, a ten-meter span through which rain and snow fall. On our last day in Roma it rained cats and dogs and had the luck to be in the neighborhood. I sprinted over to the Pantheon to see rain fall to the marble floor just as though I was in an oversized shower. (Drainage holes have been placed in the floor to match the pattern of the construction; you have to know they're there to spot them.)
