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The Roman temple in the name of all the gods is called. Pantheon in Rome: history, interesting facts, photos, how to visit

The history of the Pantheon for more than two thousand years remains mysterious and uncertain. Even after numerous humanitarian and archaeological studies, it is still difficult to understand what kind of historical reality you need to adhere to in order to find out the whole truth about this masterpiece. The Pantheon of the Gods is the main and, perhaps, the only architectural monument that, when visited, causes a feeling of deep emotional shock. As if revived from time immemorial, it embodies elegance and harmony, has retained its majestic appearance for centuries, annually attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Pantheon of the Gods - the main attraction of Rome

Roman Pantheon of the Gods: creation and history

Legend has it that Roman citizens built the first Pantheon on the very spot where Romulus, the mythological founder of Rome, ascended to heaven during solar eclipse, which came suddenly at the next review of troops in the Goat Swamp.

Almost 700 years later, between 25-27 years. BC, a new religious building was erected on the same site. Mark Vipsanius Agrippa, who was the son-in-law of Emperor Octavian Augustus, built the Pantheon pagan gods in honor of the triad - Mars, Jupiter and Quirinus. Conceived as a temple for the worship of pagan deities, it was a rectangular building with brick walls and a veranda under a common gable roof made of wood. The cult building, which had existed for almost a century, was destroyed during the strongest fires that occurred in 80 and 110 AD.

Emperor Hadrian, who came to power, became famous for his education and indefatigable activity, in the period 120-124. completely rebuilt the building. The new project of the Pantheon was drawn by the genius of architecture of Syrian origin Apollodorus from Damascus, who recreated the Temple of the Gods in the image and likeness Greek temples but in a much more complex concept.

This is interesting!

Apollodorus played an important role in Roman architecture during the reigns of the emperors Domitian and Trajan. He has worked on the design and construction of some of the greatest buildings and monuments ancient rome, including the Baths of Trajan on the Hill of Oppia, the Forum and the arch of Trajan, the harbor of Trajan in Ostia and some others. Between 103 and 105 AD under his leadership, the design and construction of the largest bridge across the Danube was carried out. He designed the Arch of Hadrian, re-Constantine, designed the Villa of Hadrian in Tivoli and the Temple of Venus in Rome.

Working in Rome and after the death of Trajan, Apollodorus of Damascus created a masterpiece for all time - the Pantheon of the Gods. He got his conceptual architectural idea while supervising the demolition of the main building of the villa erected by Emperor Nero and destroyed by the Great Fire of 64. The gigantic hemispherical dome, which covered a cylindrical room without a single intermediate support, became the main miracle of the new pagan temple. And the altars of the gods located along the inner circumference of the Pantheon corresponded to the main idea - universal accessibility to them.

Pantheon impresses with its scale

In accordance with the exact instructions dictated by Hadrian, the internal geometry of the structure was to create a perfect sphere, where the height of the dome at its most distant point was equal to the diametrical size of the supporting masonry of its ring.

Strict geometric proportions - one of the attractions of the Pantheon

In the elevated part of the dome of the Pantheon, the oculus was provided as the only source of light. Hadrian pointed out that the dome should open the sky through a large hole in the middle, showing alternately light and shadow. “My intention is that the Temple of All Gods represents the likeness of the earth and the planetary spheres. And the disk of sunlight was perceived as a shield of gold. The pouring rain will create a pool of clean water on the floor under the oculus, evaporating under our prayers like smoke into the void in which we let's take a seat gods."

Oculus at the top of the dome is the only light source

Another innovative feature of the construction of the Pantheon of the Pagan Gods was the use of colored marble for the manufacture of smooth monolithic columns of the temple, instead of the traditional white ones, with longitudinal grooves.

The spacious interior of the temple is framed by marble columns.

Studies suggest that the construction of the Pantheon was carried out throughout the life of Hadrian, until his death in 138 AD. The next emperor, Antoninus Pius, who was the adopted successor of Hadrian, continued the construction. Over the next two centuries, the Pantheon was considered the main pagan temple of the Roman Empire. It underwent minor changes, which were mainly made by the emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla at the beginning of the third century AD.

Inside the Pantheon is completely finished with marble.

After the proclamation of Christianity as the only religion of the Empire and the signing of the Milan Edict of 312-313 by the emperors Constantine and Licinius, which granted freedom of religion to Christians, the Pantheon of pagan gods was closed, plundered by barbarians and abandoned. Until now, no answers have been found to why it was not completely destroyed or immediately turned into a church for Christians. Perhaps the place of pagan idolatry was considered not quite “clean” for such a temple.

Temple main altar

It's curious that The Pantheon of the Gods remained in oblivion until 608. It was then that the emperor of Byzantium, Phokas, donated the building to Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the ancient building and established christian church Mary and the Martyrs (Santa Maria ad Martyres). By the way, today it has the same name. Most likely, only this saved the masterpiece of Apollodorus of Damascus from the destruction that many ancient Roman buildings underwent in the Middle Ages.

Pantheon: briefly about some facts

The pantheon of pagan gods, which Apollodorus created, is covered with many legends. However, no less interesting are some of the confirmed facts accumulated over more than two thousand years of its existence. Do you know that:

the bronze dome of the temple was originally covered with gold plates. At that time, the Romans did not use gold leaf, but used thin plates of it. In 655, Constans II, emperor of Constantinople, while visiting Rome, removed all the bronze and gold from the roof in order to transport them to his capital. During a stop in Syracuse, he was killed, and his cargo fell into the hands of the Saracens - nomadic robbers from Egypt. And only in 733 Pope Gregory III covered the exposed dome with sheets of lead;
the second name of the Pantheon of the Gods is Santa Maria Rotonda. The temple received this name after 1000, which was reflected in the name of the square located in front of it;
the cult building was decorated with a bell tower, erected in 1270 in a crude Romanesque style. Pope Urban VIII had a hand in its destruction. Instead, at the direction of the Pope, he erected two bell towers. The “donkey ears of Bernini,” as the wits called them, were also destroyed in 1883, as they had nothing to do with ancient Roman architecture;

Two bell towers erected by Bernini adorned the Pantheon during the revelry of the Baroque

the bronze sculptures that adorned the building of the pediment and elements of the roof over the stepped entrance to the Pantheon went to create a majestic canopy over the altar in. In 1625, during the papacy of Urban VIII Barberini, in search of the right amount of bronze, the figures of the martyrs were dismantled and melted down;
at noon on April 21, a sunbeam falling through the oculus hits the center of the entrance portal. On this day, the sunlight entering the temple takes on a truly unique meaning, making the Pantheon more than just a temple dedicated to the gods. This date is considered the founding day of Rome and is celebrated as a non-public holiday.

This is how a ray of the sun illuminates the entrance to the temple

The Pantheon in Rome today: what is in it

Starting from the 15th century, the walls of the once pagan temple began to be decorated with frescoes. At that time, the building of the Christian church was given to the professional association of artists at the Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Letters. Later, the Pontificia Insigne Accademia di Belle Arti e Letteratura dei Virtuosi al Pantheon was renamed the National Academy of St. Luke - Accademia nazionale di San Luca. It was from that time that the magnificent fresco “Annunciazione” (Annunciation), made by Melozzo da Forli (1438-1494), which is located in the first right chapel from the entrance, has been preserved here.

Annunciation. Melozzo da Forli

During the Renaissance, the Pantheon, like many other churches in Rome, became the burial place of prominent personalities of their time in the area. art. In particular, today there are the burials of the artists Rafael Santi and Annibale Carracci, the famous architect Baldassarre Peruzzi, as well as the famous musician Corelli.

Here lies the great Raphael

In addition, the graves of the first two kings of united Italy are located in the Pantheon: Victor Emmanuel II and his son and successor King Umberto I. The gravestone of Victor Emmanuel II can be seen in the chapel to the right of the entrance.

This is interesting!

The burial of the king's body became the subject of heated debate. Many companions wanted him to be buried in traditional place burial - Basilica di Superga, the family crypt of the House of Savoy. However, the decision taken by Prime Minister Agostino Depretis and Interior Minister Francesco Crispi prevailed. The body of the king was exhibited in the Pantheon on January 17, 1878, and on February 16, his solemn burial was carried out.

The giant tombstone with the inscription "Vittorio Emanuele II - Father of the Fatherland" was cast from bronze cannons that were recaptured from the Austrians during the wars of 1848-1849 and 1859.

Tombstone to the first king of Italy

On the opposite side in the Pantheon is the burial place of King Umberto I and his wife, Queen Margherita of Savoy. The memorial is decorated with a funerary urn designed by the architect Giuseppe Sacconi.

Burial of Umberto I, second king of Italy

On the 50th day of Catholic Easter, at the end of the liturgical mass, an unusually exciting action takes place inside the Pantheon. Through the oculus, located in the dome of the temple, thousands of red rose petals begin to fall on the pilgrims. This custom, revived by Archbishop Antonio German in 1995, has become a symbol of the descent of the Holy Spirit. And the holiday, when the floor of the temple is strewn with flowers, is called Rose Sunday, which sounds like la Domenica delle Rose.

Red rose petals fall on believers every year

To feel the whole energy of the ancient temple and see its splendor, it is enough to buy any guidebook to Rome or join the multilingual crowd of tourists who will lead you there themselves.

The Pantheon is located in Piazza della Rotonda, not far from Rome's Barberini metro station, and admission is free. To learn more about his two-thousand-year history of the creation and transformation of a pagan temple into a Christian church, those who wish can download an audio guide in Russian, links to which are given in the information for tourists.

The Roman Pantheon is without exaggeration one of the most recognizable symbols of the Eternal City. The geometric perfection of proportions and the amazing dome of this building, the very creation of which is covered with amazing legends, is a vivid reminder of the architecture of the great Roman Empire in the historical center of modern Rome. Most eloquent was the reaction of Michelangelo, who, seeing this miracle for the first time, compared the creation of the Pantheon with the work of angels, not people.

1. When and by whom was the Roman Pantheon built

Roman legend says that once on the site of the Pantheon there was a temple dedicated to Romulus, the legendary founder and first king of Rome, and it was from this place that he ascended to heaven. And there were three temples with the conditional name "Pantheon".

The construction of the first began in 27 BC. by order Mark of Agrippa- commander, son-in-law and associate of Emperor Octavian Augustus. Many mistakenly consider Agrippa the builder of the Pantheon because of the inscription preserved on the pediment: "M. AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIVM FECIT»(“Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, elected consul for the third time, erected this”), however, the building he built wasdestroyed in a great fire in 80 AD. The Pantheon was rebuiltunder the emperor Domitian, but this building did not serve for a long time.

And only for the third time under the emperor Hadrian in 118-126. AD, managed to build that grandiose temple that has been standing for 1900 years. The facade of the building, built under Marcus Agrippa, was preserved, as was the inscription with his name. A pThe project of the third version of the Pantheon is attributed to Apollodorus of Damascus, a famous Greek architect and engineer, the author of Trajan's column and forum.

2. Temple of all gods

Pantheon is a group of gods belonging to a particular religion or mythology (from the Greek πάντες - everything and θεός - god). According to one version, in pagan times, the Pantheon temple was represented all major deities of the ancient Romans. In it, the altars of Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Juno were located in a circle. The Romans offered gifts and performed ritual sacrifices to the gods in order to enlist their support and gain favor.

3. The largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world

The uniqueness of the Pantheon is in its dome, which still amazes the imagination with its gigantic size.For its time, it was a great achievement of architectural thought, a real breakthrough in the field of construction and engineering.

Only more than 1300 years later, when Brunelleschi built the dome of the Duomo in Florence, was it possible to surpass the diameter of the dome of the Pantheon. I deven in the 21st century, with all its technologies, the dome of the Pantheon remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world!

Comparison of internal diameters of domes:

St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican (XVI-XVII centuries) - 41.47 meters
Pantheon in Rome (II century AD) - 43.3 meters
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (XIII-XV centuries) - 44 meters

Once in the Pantheon, it is hard to imagine that such a huge dome rests only on the walls (although, for a moment, their thickness is under 6 meters). The fact is that ancient Roman engineers used concrete in combination with lighter materials- tuff and pumice, and gradually reduced the weight and thickness of the structure closer to the center. In addition, these materials prevent the formation of microcracks.

For the 2nd century AD the erection of the giant dome of the Pantheon was a real miracle! According to legend, the emperor ordered to fill the entire space of the temple from the inside with earth mixed with gold coins. When the construction was completed, the townspeople, in search of gold coins, cleared the Pantheon from the ground in a matter of hours. A similar legend is told about the dome Duomo in Florence, during the construction of which, as it is believed, Brunelleschi was inspired precisely by the dome of the ancient Roman Pantheon.

4. Oculus - a mysterious round hole in the dome of the Pantheon

Exactly in the center of the dome of the Pantheon is the oculus (Latin oculus - eye) - the only opening through which sunlight enters the Pantheon(there are no other windows in the building). Its diameter is 9 meters.

On April 21, the birthday of Rome, sunlight through the oculus strikes exactly at the doorway, which effectively presented the appearance of the emperor in front of the crowd.In the Middle Ages, there were legends that a strange round hole in the dome was pierced by an evil spirit. G The heroes of Dan Brown's book are precisely the oculus of the Pantheonconsidered the very "devil's hole", pointing to one of the altars of the insidious Illuminati.

The main question that arises when looking at the oculus is: what happens when it rains? Through the oculus, water flows into the building, but does not flood it - in this case, drains are provided in the floor.

And the most impressive "rain» - rose petal rain (“La pioggia di petali di rose”)- can be seen on the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter (that is, this date is different every year, follow the Catholic calendar). Firefighters climb onto the dome of the Pantheon and throw out thousands of rose petals. from the oculus.

On this day c the vestments of the priests are red, like the color of the petals, which recalls the “fiery tongues” of the Holy Spirit that descended on the apostles.This ancient tradition, dating back to the early Christians, when the red rose was one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit and the blood shed by the Savior to atone for the sins of mankind.

5. The best-preserved monument of ancient architecture

The Pantheon is considered one of the best preserved monuments of ancient architecture, which has hardly been rebuilt or changed since the time of the Roman Empire. In many ways, the safety of the Pantheon is explained by the simple fact that it was timely transferred to the disposal of the church, which adapted it to its needs.

In the interior from ancient times, such details as, for example, a magnificent marble floor have been preserved.. However, Pope Urban VIII Barberini, who used bronze decorations, caused great damage to the decoration of the temple. Pantheon for the cannons of the Castel Sant'Angelo. By his act, he deserved a caustic epigram:“Quod not fecerunt Barbari, fecerunt Barberini” (“What the barbarians did not do, Barberini did”).

6. Roman Pantheon - Christian Church

The Byzantine emperor Foka handed over the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, and on May 13, 609, the temple of all the gods ceased to be pagan. He was consecrated as a ChristianChurch of St Mary and the Martyrs (Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres).

Some time the day of the consecration of the PantheonMay 13 was even celebrated as All Saints' Day, until in the middle of the VIII century the holiday was moved to the day when one of the chapels of St. Peter's Cathedral was consecrated.

Today Pantheon - active Christian church with an altar, crosses, frescoes and icons, figures of angels and saints. Divine services are held here and silence is requested, as in any other sacred place. However, to most people, the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs is known by its old name."Pantheon", but does not overshadow Christian attributes ancient essence this grandiose building.

7. Who is buried in the Roman Pantheon

Tomb of Raphael Santi in the Pantheon

The Pantheon is not only a temple, but also a mausoleum. It is in the Pantheon that the tomb of the famous artist is located. Rafael Santi which is known to many. But not everyone knows that Maria Bibbiena, his bride, is buried next to Raphael. It's actually a tragic story, because Rafael's heart was given to another woman (and he may even have secretly married her). The artist, as best he could, delayed his marriage to the unloved niece of his friend and patron, the powerful Cardinal Bibbiena, until she died, without waiting for the wedding. IronicallyRafael died shortly after her, at the age of only 37.

Among other famous people in the Pantheon are buried:

painter Annibale Carracci
composer Arcangelo Corelli,
first king of united Italy Victor Emmanuel II
his son Umberto I, together with his wife Margherita, who gave the name of the most popular in the world.

8. Fountain and Egyptian obelisk in front of the Pantheon

Opposite the Pantheon in Piazza della Rotonda is a beautiful fountain (La Fontana di piazza della Rotonda). It was designed in 1575 the famous architect Giacomo della Porta, who completed the construction of the dome of St. Peter, and the implementation of his plan was entrusted to Leonardo Sormani.

In 1711, at the initiative of Pope Clement XI, the fountain was restored and modified. A pedestal appeared, decorated with the figures of four dolphins and the heraldic shields of Clement XI. An Egyptian obelisk of Pharaoh Ramses II was installed on the pedestal, which, like other obelisks in Rome, served as a kind of GPS tag for pilgrims of that time. At the top of the obelisk you can see a cross and a bronze star - one of the symbols of the same Clement XI.

In the 19th century, the marble sculptures that adorned the fountain were replaced with copies (the originals can be seen in Museum of Rome in Piazza San Pantaleo).

9. Buildings inspired by the Pantheon

Pantheon in Paris

In subsequent centuries, builders focused on the architectural grandeur of the Pantheon, copied and repeated it in their works. Z famous giant dome of the Pantheon served role model for architects of later times: Filippo Brunelleschi designed the dome of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, and Michelangelo designed the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

Parisian Pantheon (today - the tomb prominent people France) not only bears the same name as the original Pantheon, but is clearly inspired by the architecture of this outstanding monument ancient Roman architecture. The same can be said about the numerous American Capitols, where state structures are located.

10. Rules for visiting and working hours of the Pantheon

Until recently, entry to the Roman Pantheon was free and open to all. From May 2018, the entrance to the Pantheon is planned to be paid, the cost will be 2 euros.

As when visiting any other temple, when visiting the Pantheon, you must adhere to the dress code (no open shoulders and knees, defiant appearance) and keep silence, do not talk loudly or laugh.

Working hours (Monday-Saturday):

9:00 - 19:15

Opening hours (Sunday):

9:00 - 17:45

Holidays:

9:00 - 12:45

Please note that the Pantheon is closed on the following days:

1st of January
1st of May
December 25

Tourists are not allowed during worship services (holidays: 10.30, Saturday: 17.00).

Guidebooks claim that the Pantheon is the only building of Ancient Rome that has not turned into ruins and has survived intact to this day. The guidebooks are a little cunning: it is worthwhile to figure out what exactly has been preserved, because even to an inexperienced eye it is clear that the current Pantheon does not look like an ancient Roman temple.
Oddly enough, the oldest part of the pantheon is the inscription on the pediment: "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this", but this inscription is not entirely true. Mark Vipsanius Agrippa, a friend of the emperor Octavian Augustus, the husband of his daughter, and most importantly, the most talented commander of Octavian, really built a temple on this site dedicated to Mars and Venus, the patrons of ancient family Julius, to whom Octavian and Agrippa nominally belonged; the first - by the right of adoption; the second - on the fact of marrying the daughter of the first.

It's funny how the first persons of the state were people of not very noble origin, roughly speaking - upstarts, and it was not harmful for them to once again emphasize their even nominal belonging to one of the best families of Rome. By the way, the Pantheon was erected in 27 BC. in commemoration of the victory at the Battle of Cape Actions, that is, the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

This inscription was made on the pediment of the building: "Mark Agrippa, son of Lucius ...", and inside the temple. near the entrance, there were statues of Octavian Augustus and Agrippa. But… This temple stood for a very short time and burned down in the year 80. Several Roman emperors successively tried to restore the once magnificent building, but only Adrian managed to do it. People who are superficially familiar with the history of Ancient Rome only know about Emperor Hadrian that he "was of non-traditional sexual orientation and is very supportive of his handsome slave Antinous." However, in addition to this, Adrian was a good warrior, a good administrator, a passionate traveler and - most importantly - a subtle intellectual. From a long line of Roman emperors before and after him, Adrian stands out with a genuine and genuine passion for art (of course, he also had flaws, but now we are not talking about them).

The building built under Hadrian (125) - the Pantheon of All Gods - far surpassed the original building in grandiosity of design and execution; however, the emperor showed modesty and, without mentioning his name anywhere, ordered the inscription to be carved again on the pediment of the building: "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this."

Now guidebooks often point out that appearance The Pantheon does not live up to the expectations of people who see it for the first time: it is too modest and inconspicuous. Allegedly, the Pantheon is a “thing in itself”, which can only be assessed from the inside. This is not true: built in the time of Hadrian, the temple was magnificent from the outside. It stood proudly in an open area, a wide majestic staircase rose to its entrance, and it shone all over with gilded bronze details of jewelry.
Over the past centuries, the ground level has risen, and the temple was on the same level with the surrounding houses, of which so many were set up that the Pantheon was sandwiched between them so tightly that, when you went out onto the square, you literally rested your nose on it. What greatness is there!

In addition, the gilded bronze decorations of the Pantheon were of great value and were gradually plundered. The Byzantine Emperor Constant II was the first to have a hand in plundering the Pantheon: on his orders, the gilded bronze tiles were removed from the temple. It is not known who and when removed the bronze quadriga that adorned the pediment; a bas-relief depicting the battle of the gods with the titans was removed; a giant crowned bronze eagle is missing; and, finally, already in the 17th century, by order of Pope Urban VIII, bronze rafters and a bronze decorative ceiling were removed.
Interestingly, traces of bronze stolen from the Pantheon are always lost: the ships of Constant II were captured by Saracen pirates; the bronze taken by Urban VIII is not known whether it was used for the colossal bronze ciborium in St. Peter's, or cast into cannons for Fort Sant'Angelo; the quadriga suddenly floated out of the garbage and disappeared again ...

Not only the appearance of the Pantheon - its interior has also changed over the past two millennia. On the one hand, the Pantheon was lucky: it was not completely plundered, because it has always been an active temple - first Roman, then Christian. But on the other hand... In 609, the Byzantine emperor Phocas handed over the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV; The Pope consecrated the temple, and since then it has become the Catholic Church of "Saint Mary and the Martyrs", or "Santa Maria dela Rotunda". But the title of the Christian Church obliges: statues of pagan deities and everything that reminded them of worshiping them were thrown out of the Pantheon; instead, murals appeared on gospel stories and statues of Christian saints.

Since a bell tower was laid for the Christian church, it was once attached to the Pantheon; and when it fell into disrepair, by order of the same Pope Urban VIII, Bernini added two small bell towers to the Pantheon.

Now it is customary to pronounce the name Bernini only with a breath; exclaim in quiet delight: “The great genius of the Baroque!” But the Romans of the 17th century assessed his work differently: among the people, the persistent nickname “donkey ears” was attached to the bell towers. These "ears" existed until the end of the 19th century, until they were finally removed, returning the former strict Roman appearance to the Pantheon.

What is left of the ancient Roman Pantheon? Walls, columns and dome. And even this has not been completely preserved: the marble wall cladding was partially redone, partially then restored; a couple of columns disappeared somewhere ... Bronze gilded entrance doors also lost in the centuries; the current ones, also quite ancient, have existed since the 15th century.

The only part of the Pantheon that no blasphemous hand has swung at, which has invariably existed since the beginning of the 2nd century AD, is the dome. Dome diameter - 43.3 meters; this miracle of the engineering genius of the ancients was able to repeat the builders of Europe only 13 centuries later. The dome of the Pantheon is one of a kind also because it is the world's largest structure made of NON-REINFORCED concrete. Reinforced, that is, with a metal frame inside, which holds the weight of the structure - there are as many of them as you like, but there are no more unreinforced, and even of this size, in the world.

The “eye” of the Pantheon also remained untouched - a nine-meter hole in the dome, the only source of illumination of the temple (it is not dark in the Pantheon: there is enough light for the human eye; but the camera is already starting to act up and produce pictures of not very good quality). Sunlight, rain, and also currents of cosmic energies enter the Pantheon through this opening, which are said to link the Pantheon to the Earth's noosphere and the entire cosmos.
The dome of the Pantheon has another interesting feature: if you mentally continue the hemisphere of the dome, creating a full sphere, then the lowest point of this sphere will be located on the floor exactly in the center of the Pantheon. Imagine that you are standing: on the floor, but completely inside this sphere, and streams of cosmic energy, divine favor are pouring on you ... and you hear the chants of angels ... or the music of the spheres - whatever you like. Like that...

I don’t remember exactly if I knew about this feature during my visit to the Pantheon, but suddenly I had a desire to find the center of the building and stand there. It is not easy to find: the building is huge, attention is scattered by an abundance of niches, sculptures ... Maybe this is the center?

No, a little more to go forward ... Here it is, finally - the center.

She stood. Didn't feel anything. Either the time is wrong, or the center miscalculated.
And now - with what, perhaps, it was necessary to begin. Pantheon is the very word in our modern understanding marks the place of burial famous people, colors of the nation. And more, perhaps, the Paris Pantheon is known for this; it was built, in imitation of the Roman Pantheon, much later, but the French over 3 centuries buried many prominent personalities there. The Roman Pantheon was less fortunate: of the celebrities buried in the Pantheon, known to us non-Italians, only Rafael Santi and the vaguely familiar name of Peruzzi can be named.

At the end of the 19th century, it seemed that this situation would change: the first king of a united Italy, Vittorio Emmanuele II, was buried there,

His son, also a king, Umberto I,

Umberto's wife, Margherita of Savoy. At this, the tradition of burial in the Pantheon of the most august persons was interrupted. The secret of this is simple: Victor Emmanuel II was a good man and a good king; Umberto I had already managed to get involved in the colonial wars in Ethiopia and Somalia, which did not serve the glory of Italy and made him unpopular. And Vittorio Emmanuel III, after Mussolini's seizure of power in Italy, without objecting, accepted the position of "pocket king" and "friend of the house" Duce; gifts that Mussolini generously gave him, accepted: the title of Emperor of Ethiopia; the title of King of Albania; the title of First Marshal of the Empire; and was silent ... silent ... silent ... By the end of World War II, he ended up in Ethiopia and died there in 1947, without returning to Italy. His son, Umberto II, nicknamed the "May King", generally reigned for one month, and then the Italian people in a referendum abolished the monarchy and proclaimed Italy a republic. It is clear that the last two kings were no longer buried in the Pantheon - they did not deserve it.

During my stay in the Pantheon, I noticed that from time to time someone comes to a place he knows, takes out some kind of book - apparently the book of visitors, and makes a note. In the evening I asked the guide about this book; she replied, "And you could write in that book." I do not regret not having entered the visitor's book: my name would add nothing to the glory of the Pantheon. I don’t know what these people write about: about their admiration for the engineering genius of the ancient Romans who built the Pantheon; about admiration for the results of the work of Raphael and other Renaissance masters who turned the Pantheon into a majestic Christian temple; or, finally, they express their gratitude to the unifying king of Italy, the "father of the fatherland" Vittorio Emmanuele II. Who knows…

Literally on every corner you can get in touch with history. The unique Roman monument - Pantheon (Pantheon), the blessed "Temple of all gods" - became a model of unsurpassed engineering thought of the architects of Ancient Rome.

Milestones in the history of the Pantheon

Initially, the majestic building in Piazza della Rotonda served as a pagan sanctuary. In ancient times, the main ancient Roman gods were worshiped here and animals were sacrificed. Agrippa, son-in-law of Emperor Augustus, erected the building of the Pantheon in 27 BC. Then the building was square. A huge fire in 80 almost destroyed the temple. Under Domitian, it was restored, but in 110 it burned down again. The modern Pantheon was built at the beginning of the 2nd century under Emperor Hadrian on the site of the previous one.

Emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV in 608. In 609, the pagan temple was consecrated as a Christian church - in honor of St. Mary and the Martyrs. The remains of the first Christians were transferred here from the Roman catacombs. The consecration took place on November 1st.

The Pantheon has hardly been touched by time. It still looks grandiose and majestic today. Millions of tourists and pilgrims flock to it from all over the world. The ancient Roman "Temple of all gods" - the Tomb of the great citizens of Italy.

Building architecture

In 118-25 years. AD (already under Emperor Hadrian ) The Pantheon was rebuilt and reconstructed by adding a rotunda. This part of the building was covered with a hemispherical dome 43 meters in diameter. The dome was made of brick and concrete. In the center of the vault, the architect provided a hole for lighting - the “oculus”. In this round opening (diameter 9 meters) in daytime a column of light passed through, giving the interior space a special spiritual look.

The height of the rotunda, together with the dome, was also 43 meters. This ratio made the appearance of the building surprisingly proportional. Powerful walls (their thickness is 6 m) reliably supported the heavy domed structure. The entrance portal framed a portico with 16 massive columns. The front facade of the building overlooked Piazza della Rotonda, where a small Egyptian obelisk still stands today.

On the tympanum of the temple there is a solemn inscription in Latin glorifying the name of Mark Agrippa, who built the first Pantheon.

Inner space

The inner space of the temple amazes those who came for the first time with its huge size. The interior of the Pantheon contrasts sharply with the emphatically ascetic exterior of the building.

Two thousand people are placed under the dome of the Pantheon at the same time. The vast space is not disturbed by supports and other load-bearing elements. The grandiose dome looks like a vault of heaven. A luminous hole in the center is surrounded by concentric rows of square niches-caissons, creating the illusion of infinity. Caisson niches facilitate the construction of the dome.

The entire round wall of the rotunda is also permeated with voids invisible to the eye. The inner wall is divided into two tiers. In the lower tier, six high niches are symmetrically arranged, decorated with pilasters and separated from the main room by columns. Between them in small niches are statues. The upper tier of the wall is separated by an entablature. It has rows of shallow niches separated by pilasters.

The internal marble decoration of the walls has not been preserved. The bronze sculptural decorations on the tympanum of the portico were also lost (the scene of the battle of the gods with the titans was depicted there). In the 17th century, at the behest of Pope Urban VIII, the bronze roofing of the portico was removed. It was used to create a canopy in St. Peter's Basilica.

The Roman Pantheon served as a demonstrative example of centric-domed architecture for the buildings of the following centuries.

Burial place of great people

The ancient temple also became a tomb. Italian rulers of different times are buried here: Queen Margherita of Savoy, King Victor Emmanuel II, King Umberto I. In a modest marble niche, under a laurel wreath, lies the brilliant artist of Italy - Rafael Santi from Urbino. Even during his lifetime, he expressed a desire to be buried in the Pantheon. The great Raphael lived only 37 years.

The name "pantheon" has now become a household name. This word means a solemn tomb - a mausoleum where worthy sons of the people are buried.

The Pantheon is another important historical landmark of Rome, with a visit to which a tourist trip to the eternal city is certainly associated.

The ancient Pantheon is a pagan temple, which, during the heyday of the Catholic religion, was illuminated and acquired the status of the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs. Thus, this amazing structure has experienced a new birth.

The Pantheon or the Temple of All Gods is known not only as a magnificent example of architecture from the era of the ancient world, but also as the burial place of Italian kings, and it also houses the tomb of the famous Raphael. The structure has been so well preserved since ancient times that it did not even require significant reconstruction.

History of the Pantheon

The Pantheon was built in the 2nd century AD. on the site of an ancient temple erected by order of Marcus Agrippa (Marcus Agrippa) in 27 BC. Consul Agrippa was a relative of the first emperor of Rome, Octavian Augustus.

Temple of Agrippa

It was the first temple erected not in honor of one or two deities, as was done before, but in honor of all the main ancient Roman gods at once.

Another feature of the temple was that all the townspeople could enter the temple through the triumphal arch along with the priests. Prior to this, all rituals were held on the adjacent square, and only priests had the right to enter the building.

At that time, such ancient Roman gods as Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto, Mercury, Neptune and Saturn were worshiped in the Pantheon, for whom animal sacrifices were arranged. For these rituals in the building, a hole was specially made in the dome - the "oculus" (oculus), under which the altar was located.

Interestingly, the original building had the shape of a square. It survived two fires and already in 80 AD. It was almost destroyed, and in its place they arranged a bath pool.

Temple of Hadrian

The Pantheon acquired the shape of a circle only in 118-125 AD. under Hadrian (Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus), who built new temple in place of the former.

The creator of the project and the head of the construction work was Apollodorus of Damascus. The spherical dome erected by him became a real architectural miracle.

Church of St Mary and the Martyrs

In 608, Emperor Phocas transferred the Pantheon to the power of the church, namely, to Pope Boniface IV, who lit the building and turned it into a temple of the Catholic religion. Of course, all the pagan sculptures of the gods were taken out.

In addition, the pope ordered the remains of the first adherents of Christianity to be transferred to the temple. So the temple received a new name - the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs. Under the patronage of Pope Boniface IV, the temple has retained its original state.

medieval fortress

However, the Pantheon was not always used as a church. From the 14th to the 16th century, it even served as a fortress. Its walls were so powerful that they could withstand even strong military blows. After a four-hundred-year period of decline, the building regained the status of a temple.

Currently

To date, this is one of the few buildings of the ancient Roman era, so well preserved to our time.

It is impossible to come to Rome and pass by the Pantheon - one of the ancient symbols of Rome, which over the course of many centuries has turned from a temple of pagan culture into a Catholic resting place for the famous inhabitants of the eternal city.

Architecture

The Pantheon is distinguished by its unique architectural design. The thickness of its walls is 6 meters, and the dome has a width of 43.3 meters. The shape of the Pantheon is carefully calibrated and built in such a way that its interior space is an ideal spherical figure.

At the same time, the huge rotunda does not put pressure on visitors, but rises weightlessly in the form of a vault of heaven. The feeling of spherical space is further enhanced by the fact that the building reaches almost as many meters in height as it does in diameter - about 42 meters.

Pantheon window

In particular, the uniqueness of the architecture of the building concerns the windows. The fact is that there are no windows in the Pantheon in the usual sense. Light and air enter the structure through a single opening located at the top of the dome and called the “Eye of the Pantheon”.

The diameter of the hole is 9 meters. Since the only window of the temple is open to precipitation, a special drainage system has been arranged in the Pantheon.

In pagan times, there was an altar under this hole, and its exclusivity symbolized the unity of all the ancient gods that the Romans worshiped before the adoption of Christianity.

It is noteworthy that the statues of the gods were located in ancient pantheon so that the light from the "oculus" alternately falls on each of them, depending on the location of the sun at different times of the year.

Currently, in place of the statues of the gods, once personifying pagan culture, there are paintings and sculptures of the Renaissance.

Dome of the Pantheon

On the surface of the dome from the inside there are 140 caissons. They serve not only for decorative purposes, but also to reduce the mass of the dome. After all, the total weight of the vault is 5 thousand tons.

At the same time, the higher to the center of the dome, the smaller the mass and thickness of the material. At the base of the vault, its thickness is 6 meters, and next to the "oculus" - only 1.5 meters.

Photo: Rafael Dias Katayama / Shutterstock.com

At the entrance to the temple

As you approach the Pantheon, you will see a portico made up of 16 granite Corinthian columns. Inside you can go through the portal of the times of Ancient Rome.

On the triangular pediment under the roof of the building there are holes, in which the sculptural composition "Battle of the Titans" was previously located. The sculpture has not survived to this day, because it was of pagan origin.

The doors in the temple are very heavy and powerful, they belong to the 14th-16th centuries, when the Pantheon served for defensive purposes. At the entrance there are sculptures of Agrippa and Hadrian.

The dome rests on the walls, divided into two tiers. In the lower tier there are 7 equal niches that lighten the overall weight of the structure. The walls of the temple are lined with marble.

What to see inside

There are always a lot of tourists in the Pantheon itself and in the square near it, because Piazza della Rotonda is no less attractive and interesting than ancient temple with a unique history.

Currently, the Pantheon stores not only unique paintings and sculptures of the 18th century, but also the remains of Italian kings - Umberto I, Victor Emmanuel II, Queen Margherita, as well as the tomb of Raphael (Raffaello Santi) and tombstones of other artists - Carracci and Zuccari .

Photo: Andre Nantel / Shutterstock.com

legends

Undoubtedly, there are many legends around such an ancient monument of architecture and pagan culture. According to one of them, in order to build a dome, the building was filled with earth, along with gold coins, with specially even flooring. Just imagine how many coins have accumulated for the construction of a dome of such a height!

After the work was completed, the emperor allowed the Romans to take all the coins that they could later find. So the coins that filled the space of the structure disappeared from the Pantheon.

Another legend concerns a hole in the dome. Many assume that it was not originally designed in the Pantheon, but was formed during the first mass, when evil pagan creatures tried to break out.