The Portico faces the Piazza della Rotonda and is comprised of 16 granite columns, each measuring roughly 40 ft tall and 15 ft in circumference. The Portico is the entry “porch” where you enter the Pantheon. These elements can be found in other Roman buildings such as baths, tombs, and basilicas, however, there was not a building that incorporated all four elements on such a grand scale. They are the portico, transitional block, drum, and dome. There are four main components of the Pantheon. Vaulting a space the size of the Pantheon would have been an unprecedented achievement. The Pantheon remains one of the best-preserved ancient monuments from the Roman Empire.Īt the time the Pantheon was constructed, it was unique because of the size and the span of the dome. He would combine elements from both Greece and Etruscan styles in the Pantheon many of which were observed on his travels. The original purpose of the Pantheon was to be a temple dedicated to all the Roman gods in ancient times. Hadrian had an affinity for traveling and sought to visit beautiful architecture from many parts of the world. After several fires, the temple was almost fully reconstructed during the reign of Emperor Hadrian between 118 and 125 A.D. The original temple was commissioned by the son-in-law of Ceasar Agustus, Marcus Agrippa. After visiting the Pantheon, I needed to learn more about this iconic structure. As I walked through the building, I immediately understood why this structure holds such high esteem in the history of architecture. However, it is impossible to understand the grandeur and scale until you visit the building. It was an experience that I will never forget.Īs a young architecture student in university, we studied the Pantheon through drawings and photographs. As I walked towards the center of the space, a perfectly formed cylindrical column of rain entered through the oculus. The age of the structure emanated a feeling that felt very different from any other church, basilica, or temple I had visited. Inside the space, the light was low, and the details of the coffers and columns were difficult to make out. The day that I visited Rome, it was overcast with a light drizzle. I can recall the unusual feeling I had when looking up at the oculus in the Pantheon.
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