Pantheon in Rome
The Pantheon is one of the many architectural monuments of Ancient Rome, created by order of Emperor Hadrian in 126. It is also called the "temple of all the gods", and it is located in Piazza della Rotonda.
The pantheon stands on the site of an old temple built by order of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, as evidenced by the text on the pediment of the building "M. AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIUM FECIT", translated as: "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, elected consul for the third time, erected this." With the advent of Christianity on May 13, 609, the temple was consecrated and named the "Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs." From that day on, May 13 became All Saints' Day, but in the 8th century Pope Gregory III consecrated the chapel in St. Peter's Cathedral, it happened on November 1, and accordingly All Saints' Day was moved to this date. Now this holiday is celebrated by all Catholics and Protestants.
The temple has been preserved in excellent shape, and surprises tourists with its beauty. The building is made of brick and concrete with a dome 43 meters in diameter. There is a hole in the dome with a diameter of almost 9 meters, through which a bright ray of light strikes during the day. This ray symbolizes the unity of all the gods. There used to be statues of gods in the temple, but they have not survived to this day and they are being replaced by paintings and statues of the 18th century. The walls are decorated with brown marble with inclusions of white marble.
Many famous people of Italy are buried in the temple, such as Kings Umberto I and Emmanuel II, the painter Raphael. If you wish, you can view their sarcophagi.
Anyone can enter the temple for free. You can even perform a wedding ceremony here.
