The Pantheon

This trip was my second time to Rome. my first, the aforementioned school trip was a packed itinerary, and getting any free time from the teachers was like getting blood from a stone. I remember being given a choice by one of the teachers, “You can either come with us to the Pantheon, or you can  have some free time and we will all meet back at the hotel”. So, what did the 15 year old me decide to do? Go get ice cream. Yes, I passed up the Pantheon for a scoop of Pistachio.

I remember my friends who has chosen the other (better) option coming back to the hotel and declaring that the Pantheon was the greatest thing they had ever seen in their lives etc etc. I remember thinking that they all my have been bullshitting in some strange attempt to make us jealous of how mature and cultured they had become by taking the educational option.

It was only when I came home and actually Googled the Pantheon did I start to think that I had made a poor decision.

Then, one of my first modules in History of Art at Uni was entitled ‘Reinventing Antiquity’, focusing on Ancient Greek and Roman Art and Architecture. I remember being sat in seminars feeling lucky (and a bit smug) about the fact that I had already see the Laocoön, the Apollo Belvedere and their peers. The smug feeling lasted right up until we spent 2 weeks studying (have you guessed?) the Pantheon. Smug I was no more. I could have actually kicked myself if physically possible.

I vowed, never again would I let my stomach take priority in such a situation.

So when my boyfriend came home announcing that we were off to Rome the following week for his Italian cousin’s wedding, all I could think was “must go to Pantheon to correct childhood mistake”.

The Pantheon (the Greek adjective meaning “honour all Gods”) is the best preserved Ancient Roman monument. In fact, no one really knows how it survived the Barbarian raids which left all the other Ancient Roman monuments in ruins. The most fascinating and famous fact about the Pantheon is its giant dome with its hole in the top. It remains to this day the largest unsupported dome in the world, and inspired countless artists and architects including Michelangelo and Brunelleschi. The hole at the top of the dome is often referred to as the ‘eye’, creating a link between the temple an the gods, and providing the only light source for the building. The Pantheon is so well preserved that it is not difficult to imagine what it would have looked like in all its ancient glory. And although it will cost you a small fortune, you have pull up a chair outside one of the cafes in the Piazza della Rotonda to just sit and stare for an hour. And, it is just as impressive at night. I know this because in a desperate attempt to make up for my daft teenage mistake, I visited the Pantheon every single day this time.

Piazza della Rotonda

00186 Roma

Italy