{"id":2850,"date":"2012-09-10T15:16:49","date_gmt":"2012-09-10T14:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2025-05-21T10:35:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T09:35:53","slug":"pantheon-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts","title":{"rendered":"Pantheon Facts: 6 Surprising Insights into the Roman Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Pantheon is one of the most famous sights in Italy. But there&#8217;s a lot more to this ancient Roman building than its postcard-worthy perfection! If you want to see it in person <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\">one of our expert guides will be happy to take you<\/a>,<\/span> but in the meantime, here are six Pantheon facts you might not have known about the incredible landmark (and six reasons why it&#8217;s one of our favorite places to visit).<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts\/#The_Pantheon_is_actually_a_Christian_church%E2%80%94and_has_been_for_centuries\" >The Pantheon is actually a Christian church\u2014and has been for centuries<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts\/#The_Pantheon_is_the_best-preserved_ancient_Roman_building_in_Rome\" >The Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient Roman building in Rome<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts\/#The_Pantheon_dome_remains_the_single_largest_unreinforced_concrete_dome_in_the_entire_world\" >The Pantheon dome remains the single largest, unreinforced concrete dome in the entire world<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts\/#This_isnt_the_original_Pantheon\" >This isn&#8217;t the original Pantheon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts\/#Were_still_not_sure_who_was_worshiped_here\" >We&#8217;re still not sure who was worshiped here<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/pantheon-facts\/#The_tombs_tell_the_story_of_a_doomed_engagement\" >The tombs tell the story of a doomed engagement<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Pantheon_is_actually_a_Christian_church%E2%80%94and_has_been_for_centuries\"><\/span>The Pantheon is actually a Christian church\u2014and has been for centuries<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A nativity scene in the Pantheon\u2014er, in the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs! Walk into the <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/top-attractions\/visiting-the-pantheon-rome\"><strong>Pantheon<\/strong> <\/a>today, and all of the information signs say &#8220;Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres,&#8221; or &#8220;Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Huh? Isn&#8217;t this a pagan temple? Well, it was once -more on that in a moment. But in 609 A.D., it was turned into a church. It&#8217;s still a church today, and, yes, you can attend Sunday Mass here!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Insider&#8217;s tip:<\/strong> Check out our picks for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/the-most-jaw-dropping-churches-in-rome-that-arent-called-st-peters-a-pilgrimage-to-rome-guide\">10 more can&#8217;t-miss churches in Rome<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Pantheon_is_the_best-preserved_ancient_Roman_building_in_Rome\"><\/span>The Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient Roman building in Rome<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Largely because the Pantheon\u00a0<em>was\u00a0<\/em>turned into a church, it was kept remarkably well-preserved. In fact, you can still experience the building much as the ancient Romans would have. Sure, some things have changed (there&#8217;s a Christian altar here now, for example, and frescoes of saints), but the dimensions of the building, along with much of its decoration, has remained the same.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Pantheon_dome_remains_the_single_largest_unreinforced_concrete_dome_in_the_entire_world\"><\/span>The Pantheon dome remains the single largest, unreinforced concrete dome in the entire world<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_2854\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rome-Italy.-Pantheon-the-third-largest-masonry-dome-in-the-world-with-its-famous-hole-in-the-ceiling..jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2854\" class=\"wp-image-2854 size-full\" title=\"The dome of Rome's Pantheon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rome-Italy.-Pantheon-the-third-largest-masonry-dome-in-the-world-with-its-famous-hole-in-the-ceiling..jpg\" alt=\"The breathtaking dome of the Pantheon as seen from below\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rome-Italy.-Pantheon-the-third-largest-masonry-dome-in-the-world-with-its-famous-hole-in-the-ceiling..jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rome-Italy.-Pantheon-the-third-largest-masonry-dome-in-the-world-with-its-famous-hole-in-the-ceiling.-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The breathtaking dome of the Pantheon.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At about 142 feet in diameter, the Pantheon&#8217;s dome is bigger even than the dome of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/st-peters-basilica\">St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica<\/a>. It&#8217;s\u00a0<em>also\u00a0<\/em>completely unreinforced&#8230; there&#8217;s no rebar in there. That makes it the single largest unreinforced, concrete dome in the entire world. And, yes, it was built by the Romans in 125 A.D., not by later architects.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_isnt_the_original_Pantheon\"><\/span>This isn&#8217;t the original Pantheon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_2855\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Pantheon-in-Rome.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2855\" class=\"wp-image-2855 size-full\" title=\"Pantheon in Rome\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Pantheon-in-Rome.jpg\" alt=\"The ancient Pantheon from the outside\" width=\"1000\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Pantheon-in-Rome.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Pantheon-in-Rome-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2855\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ancient Pantheon from the outside. If you have to wait in line to enter, you&#8217;ll still enjoy the view.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>You read that correctly. This Pantheon&#8230; is\u00a0<em>not\u00a0<\/em>the original! Don&#8217;t worry\u2014it&#8217;s still ancient. But it just so happens to be the\u00a0<em>third\u00a0<\/em>version of the building. The first one was built in about 27 B.C., but burned down; the second, built in the 1st century A.D., also burned down. This, the third, was built in 125 A.D. Luckily, it survived later fires.<\/p>\n<p>This, by the way, explains the strange inscription above the porch, &#8220;M\u00b7AGRIPPA\u00b7L\u00b7F\u00b7COS\u00b7TERTIVM\u00b7FECIT,&#8221; which means, &#8220;Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this.&#8221; Agrippa was around in the 1st century B.C&#8230;. so how is that possible? It&#8217;s possible because Agrippa didn&#8217;t build the third version\u2014he built the first. The inscription was added as a nice little nod to him, as the original founder.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Were_still_not_sure_who_was_worshiped_here\"><\/span>We&#8217;re still not sure who was worshiped here<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a building as thoroughly studied as the Pantheon, a lot of mystery remains. One major question? What the Pantheon was used for. We know it was a pagan temple. But to worship which gods is anyone&#8217;s guess.<\/p>\n<p>Even Cassius Dio, writing just 75 years after the Pantheon was reconstructed, wasn&#8217;t sure what it was for. &#8220;It has this name, perhaps because it received among the images which decorated it the statues of many gods, including Mars and Venus; but my own opinion of the name is that, because of its vaulted roof, it resembles the heavens,&#8221; he wrote in his <em>History of Rome. <\/em>This Pantheon fact is still a bit of a mystery.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_tombs_tell_the_story_of_a_doomed_engagement\"><\/span>The tombs tell the story of a doomed engagement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_2851\" style=\"width: 418px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/408px-Fornarina.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2851\" class=\"wp-image-2851 size-full\" title=\"La Fornarina, the lover of Raphael \" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/408px-Fornarina.jpeg\" alt=\"A likely image of Raphael's lover, &quot;La Fornarina,&quot; who is also buried in Rome's Pantheon\" width=\"408\" height=\"599\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2851\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A likely image of Raphael&#8217;s lover, &#8220;La Fornarina,&#8221; who may have been the reason why he never married his fianc\u00e9e&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Most people know that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Raphael-Italian-painter-and-architect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Raphael, the famous Renaissance painter<\/a>, is buried inside. What a lot of people\u00a0<em>don&#8217;t\u00a0<\/em>know is that Maria Bibbiena, his\u00a0fianc\u00e9e, is as well\u2014right next to him. While that might seem sweet, it&#8217;s also tragic. Raphael became engaged to Maria, the niece of a powerful cardinal, in 1514. He put off the marriage for six years\u2014and, in the meantime, was involved in a passionate love affair with the daughter of a local baker\u2014until it was too late for Maria, who died. Raphael died not long after, at the age of just 37 years old.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ready to explore the path once trodden by emperors, popes, and other fascinating figures? Join us for a guided tour of two of the most majestic attractions in Rome on our <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/pantheon-to-castel-sant-angelo-tour\/\">Castel Sant&#8217;Angelo to Pantheon Tour<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore ancient Rome a little differently with our guided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/rome-tours\/pantheon-to-castel-sant-angelo-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">walking tour of Roman Icons<\/a>, offering special access to iconic landmarks such as Castel Sant\u2019Angelo and the Pantheon. Listen to captivating tales and fun historical facts from our expert guides and as you explore these magnificent structures. Enjoying breathtaking views over the Eternal City during a morning you&#8217;ll never forget.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pantheon is one of the most famous sights in Italy. But there&#8217;s a lot more to this ancient Roman building than its postcard-worthy perfection! If you want to see it in person one of our expert guides will be happy to take you, but in the meantime, here are six Pantheon facts you might [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[95,87,20,69,286],"ppma_author":[155],"class_list":["post-2850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","tag-ancient-rome","tag-architecture","tag-attractions","tag-history","tag-pantheon"],"authors":[{"term_id":155,"user_id":3,"is_guest":0,"slug":"walksofitaly","display_name":"Walks of Italy","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9f4cd4dd0c5ab4b4bae57f3500298e23?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog","last_name":"of Italy","first_name":"Walks","job_title":"","description":"Walks began life as the passion project of two guys with one simple mission: To share their love for, and knowledge of, the city of Rome. Since then, Walks has grown into a team of over 100 ground staff and at any time up to 600 guides, operating across 13 of the world\u2019s most exciting cities (and counting!)\r\n\r\nToday we provide some of the most exclusive and beautifully designed small group tours in the industry through Italy-based Walks of Italy and around the world at Walks, where we offer special access to some of the world\u2019s most iconic landmarks and attractions as well as unique cultural experiences."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2850"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23075,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850\/revisions\/23075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2850"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}