The Interior
Originally, this temple was dedicated to all of the Roman gods and goddesses, but since 609 AD it has been used as a Roman Catholic Church. The Pantheon now contains the tombs of the famous artist Raphael and of several Italian kings.
The interior design also contrasts with the structural design, but the marble flooring that features a design of geometric figures, is still original. The interior height of the temple is 43.3 meters. This temple also has a theoretical ball that is some 143 feet in diameter, a rotunda that has an amazing inner diameter of 142.4 feet, and the most amazing thing of all are the main entrance doors that are double bronze and an amazing height of 21 feet. The temple is filled with all this amazing architectural aspects and many more. |
The Dome
The construction of this massive dome was one of the challenges the Roman's faced while building the Pantheon. Their answer was to have the thickness of the walls decrease as the height increased.
The Romans also decided to used a different type of concrete for the dome than the walls. They constructed walls at the base that were six meters thick and very strong. Towards the top of the dome where their was an opening, the Romans used a light type of concrete and made the walls only 2.3 meters thick. The opening at the top of the dome also helped reduce the weight of the dome. Through the ages, many engineers have created theories about the construction of the dome. Some say the Romans used heavy wooden scaffolding, throughout the construction that reached from the floor to the opening in the dome. |
The Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building with a roof structure over a walkway, which is supported by many columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in Ancient Greece and has influenced many cultures, including Rome.
In the Pantheon's portico, there are 16 huge columns weighing 60 tons that are from Egypt. The were transported to Rome on barges and other vessels. Each columns has a diameter of 1.5 meters and are used to support a pediment with an inscription giving recognizing Marcus Agrippa even though the Pantheon we see today was built by Hadrian, not Agrippa. The pediment was originally decorated with statuary of bronze. Later pope Urban VIII placed orders to have them removed to create the baldachin in the St. Peter's Basilica. |
FUN FACT: Light comes from a large opening at the top of the dome, which is the only source of light.