Pantheon, Rome

About this place

The Pantheon is an ancient temple in Rome, Italy, originally built under emperor Augustus and reconstructed under Hadrian; since AD 609, it is a Catholic church called the Basilica of Saint Mary and the Martyrs. It is perhaps the most famous, and architecturally most influential, rotunda. The current Pantheon was built on the site of an earlier temple, which had been commissioned by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. After the original burnt down, the present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated c. Its date of construction is uncertain, because Hadrian chose to re-inscribe the new temple with Agrippa's original date inscription from the older temple. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.