The Pantheon

Today for class we visited the Pantheon. It was actually the second time I have explored the inside of the Pantheon since I have been in Rome, but I love it. It is so huge that it is overwhelming to take it all in.

The inscription on the front of the Pantheon still reads the original Latin inscription...


"M. AGRIPPA.L.F.COSTERTIUM.FECIT” which means “Marcus Agrippa son of Lucius, having been consul three times made it”. How cool is that to have your name inscribed on a building that has lasted for centuries! Emperor Hadrian built this Pantheon to replace Marcus Agrippa's Pantheon that burned to the ground.

Of course the most striking thing about the Pantheon is the incredible architecture. The sheer enormity of the inside is crazy. The marble floor is beautiful and the granite pillars outside are wider than a person and 10 times as tall. Being inside the Pantheon, looking up at the oculus, makes you feel incredibly small.

*Added information from "Rome.info Roman Pantheon." Rome.info Rome tourist information, Ancient Rome travel guide. 19 May 2009 http://www.rome.info/pantheon/.