The columns of the Pantheon have prompted a lot of discussion because scholars believe that if the columns had only been 10 Roman feet taller, they would have allowed for continuity between the porch and intermediate block that is lacking in the current structure.
Certainly 50 Roman foot monolithic columns were considerably more difficult to acquire; it is quite possible that the larger columns were instead used for the Temple of Trajan, which was being built by Hadrian around the same time for his adoptive father. Problems with obtaining larger columns may have thus prompted the architect of the Pantheon to compromise and use smaller columns. Politically, it would have been important for Hadrian to devote the larger columns to the Temple of Trajan to show respect for Trajan, especially because the size of the columns was very important to the Temple of Trajan since it dictated the size of the entire building, whereas it was not as crucial to the structure of the Pantheon.
When it was first built, the entire exterior of the dome, as well as the interior of the coffered ceiling, would have been covered in bronze. The brickwork covering the outer wall of the rotunda would have been covered in stucco, marble paneling, or even travertine. Currently, the Pantheon sits somewhat sunken into the floor because the street level has risen around the building.
Originally, the Pantheon would have sat high above street level, with five steep stairs used to reach it. Since it was rededicated as a church, the Pantheon houses a collection of religious art and several tombs. Upon entering the rotunda, the first chapel to the right is a fresco of The Annunciation, attributed to Melozzo da Forli or Antoniazzo Romano, and two 17th century angel statues flank the fresco. In the aedicule is a 14th century fresco of The Coronation of the Virgin.
In the main apse is an icon of The Virgin and Child, dating from the 7th century. The tomb of the artist Raphael also lies in the Pantheon, as requested by Raphael when he studied the Pantheon during his report on the state of monuments, after he was appointed to serve as the superintendent of antiquities in The niches contain statues of various saints and priests.
Section Three 3 of 7 Function When it was initially built, the Pantheon was meant to serve as an assembly hall where the public could gather.
Hadrian would have sat in a throne to oversee public gatherings. While meant to represent all gods as its name suggests, the Pantheon was not necessarily used as a temple because it lacked the rectangular shape of previous temples.
In part, the Pantheon was meant to appease the gods because the destruction of the previous buildings in its place was seen as a sign that the gods were unhappy.
In the niches would have originally stood statues of various gods, and deified emperors. For example, a statue of Augustus was placed in one of the main recesses.
One of the main purposes of the building, was for Hadrian to give the Roman people something to be proud of. A viewer approaching the Pantheon when it was first built would have had to look up to see the entire front porch. The bronze covered rotunda would have glowed in the sun. Upon entering the rotunda, the viewer would have been stunned by all the exquisite marble and grandeur of the dome.
The interior of the rotunda was also symbolic of the greatness of the empire. This was meant to demonstrate how the Roman empire was to be seen. The perfection of the dome also reminded the viewer of the continuity of the heavens, showing a connection to the Roman gods. When Hadrian had court under the dome, he would have appeared to have great power by being watched over by the gods.
The pattern of circles and squares on the floor would have also symbolized the order of the empire. In addition, the construction of the Pantheon in a relatively short time of ten years would have undoubtedly provided work for thousands.
Trajan and his wife took Hadrian in as their own son, and provided for him to be educated partially in Spain, but mostly in Rome. During this time, Hadrian developed an interest in art and architecture that continued throughout the rest of his life. After Trajan became emperor, Hadrian quickly climbed the ranks of the Roman elite and was given many different titles, especially after proving himself in battle in the Dacian wars.
As an emperor, Hadrian was a very interesting character. A great orator, he would write his own speeches. Hadrian recognized the importance of support of the military and people on the outer parts of the empire, and spent a great deal of his reign traveling the empire for support. As a result, Hadrian believed that the Romans should just maintain the borders of the empire, rather than continually expanding. As part of this policy, Hadrian had a wall that bears his name built in England, meant to separate the barbaric British tribes from civil Roman society.
This our most popular and longest-running Vatican tour to date. Admissions are included and our English-speaking guides do a wonderful job bringing the museums to life! Get the most out of your visit to St. Our tour includes all admissions including an elevator to the highest possible point and an English-speaking guide. The porch is significantly different from the inner drum. It is literally the square peg and round hole dilemma. If you look directly at the structure you can see the drum behind the porch which, for a lack of better words, makes the exterior look ugly.
Some think this was due to a shortage of materials during construction or even a shipwreck that caused the loss of some columns from Egypt. It is still a classical monumental entrance. Support columns are monolithic shafts of Egyptian granite that sit on a base of white Pentelic marble.
The exterior of the building would also have been completely clad with marble — the Romans would not have designed the structure with a brick exterior. The triangular facade shows many marks that lead us to believe there must have been a frieze on the front. Imagine a massive Eagle in a victorious wreath which was the symbol of Rome and Jupiter.
Notice there are 4 pink Aswan marble columns in the middle of the porch. These columns were added in the 17th century after some damage and are not original to the building. The bronze doors, although ancient for us, are not original to the building.
They were likely added in the 15th century when Rome was coming out of the darkness of the middle ages. Your email address will not be published. Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill This is our most popular Colosseum tour due to the incredible access to non-public areas like the underground chambers.
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The exact date of the Pantheon is a mystery. Legend says that the original Pantheon was built on the very site where Romulus ascended to heaven. Emperor Domitian rebuilt the building, but it was then struck by lightning and burned again in AD.
Finally, Emperor Hadrian commissioned Apollodorus of Damascus, a famous Greek architect, to rebuild this building once again in AD. This Pantheon remained standing, now almost years old. Unfortunately, due to the conflicting opinions of Hadrian and Apollodorus over the design, the emperor had the architect executed and continued with his own vision.
An interesting thing about this building is that the exact composition of materials is still unknown. However, a clue shows it was made with a mixture that is similar to modern-day concrete, which means the construction methods were ahead of their time. What was the purpose of its construction? And how has it been used over the years? It is the best preserved Ancient Roman monument.
It is a bit of a mystery how the Pantheon managed to survive barbarian raids when all the rest of the Roman monuments had been shattered. It was turned into a church in AD, but the structure itself is way ahead of its time.
In fact, the exact composition of the material is still unknown and appears to be structurally similar to modern day concrete. Whatever the reasons are, the Pantheon is the only structure of its age and size that has successfully survived the damage of time and gravity, still intact with all its splendour and beauty.
The exact age of the pantheon remains unknown. Roman legend has it that the original Pantheon was built on the very site and was dedicated to Romulus, their mythological founder, after he ascended to heaven from that site. It burned in the great fire of 80 AD, was rebuilt by Emperor Domitian, but was struck by lightning and burned again in AD. The Pantheon as we know it today was built in AD by Emperor Hadrian who was passionate with architecture and designed it together with Apollodorus of Damascus, a famous Greek architect of the time who unfortunately was executed by order of the Emperor, because of an argument regarding the design of the temple.
The most fascinating part of the Pantheon is its giant dome, with its famous hole in the top The eye of the Pantheon, or oculus. The dome was the largest in the world for years and to present remains the largest unsupported dome in the world. Its diameter is This great architectural achievement was due to the massive weight of the large dome.
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