Pantheon, Borghese Gallery, MAXXI. As I get to the end of this series on Rome, that’s my top 3: the paganist, the opulent, the kinetic. Some of the best ways to describe the Italian way. The Italians have innovated and rebuilt all while threading the past to the future. The richness that I referenced previously- it is in their willingness to find perfection. The Pantheon of all the ancient architecture in Rome, and maybe in the world- remains perfect.
Notes from Gemini:
The Name: The word Pantheon comes from the Ancient Greek Pantheion, meaning “of, relating to, or common to all the gods.”
The Builders: The original temple was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (around 27 BC). After it burned down, Emperor Hadrian completely rebuilt the magnificent domed structure we see today around 126 AD.
The Pagan Purpose: Inside its massive rotunda, niches in the walls originally held statues of Roman planetary deities like Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Julius Caesar (who was deified), and others.
Address: Piazza della Rotonda, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Website: Pantheon History
