The+Pantheon

=History= After the battle of Actium, Marcos Agrippa built and dedicated the original Pantheon during his third consulship. Located in the Campus Martius, at the time of its construction, the area of the Pantheon was outside the city, and had a rural appearance. The first construction of the Pantheon was part of a program of construction that was undertaken by Angustus Cesar and his supporters. They built more than thwenty structures on the Campus Martius. The Pantheon, then was destroyed. Emperor Hadrian was responsible for rebuilding the Pantheon on the site of Agrippa's original temple. The building was repaired bye Septimus Severus and Caracalla in 202 AD, for which there is another, smaller inscription. The first description across the front of the Pantheon says, M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIUM.FECIT, meaning that Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, having been consul 3 times, built it. And then the smaller descriptions says that the Pantheon "vestute corruptum cum omni cultu restituerunt", that means that the Pantheon was dedicated again to all the gods and goddesses.

MEDIEVAL CHANGES: In 609, the Byzantine emperor Phicas gave the building to Pope Boniface IV, who saved it into from the abandoment and destruction, suffered by the majority of ancient Rome's buldings during the Early Medieval Period.

RENAISSANCE: Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. In the 15th century, the Pantheon was adorned with paintings. A pope ordered the bronze ceiling of the Pantheon's portico melted down. The bronze for the baldachin came from Venice. In 1747. The broad frieze below the dome with its false windows was "restored". MODERN: The Pantheon is still used as a church. Masses are celebrated there, in particular on important Catholic days of obligation and weddings.

The Pantheon has many niches inside and many sculptures. On the 1st. niche to the left of the entrance is an Assumption by Andrea Camassei. The 2nd niche has a statue of St. Agnes bye Vicencio Felici. The 3rd niche has the mortal remains of Rafael.

=Characteristics= PORTICO: The building was originally approached by a flight of steps. The pediment was decorated with relief sculpture, probably of gilded bronze. The Pantheon's porch was originally designed with monolithic granite columns 50 Roman feet tall and capitals in the Corinthian style. In the walls at the back of the Pantheon's portico are niches. . The "oculus" also serves as a cooling and ventilation method as well as a sundial.

ROTUNDA: The top of the rotunda wall features a series of brick relieving arches, visible on the outside and built into the mass of the brick work. There are relieving arches over the recesses inside but all these arches were hidden by marble on the interior and possibly by stone revetment or stucco on the exterior.

INTERIOR: The interior of the dome was possibly intended to symbolize the arched vault of the heavens. The "oculus" at the dome and the entry door are the only sources of light in the interior. The light moves around this space in a sort of sundial.

Floor plan and illustrations Latin floor plan cross

Link: []. LISSETTE MAI ARCHITECTURE