By MOOK Travel's Mo Fei
The Pantheon (Italian: Pantheon), also known as the Temple of All Gods or the Pantheon, is located in Rome, Italy. It was an extremely important religious structure from the ancient Roman era and was later converted into a church.
Construction of the Pantheon began in 27 BC. (Photo / MOOK Travel's Mo Fei)
The Pantheon dates back to the Roman Republic period in 27 BC. It was built by Octavian’s deputy to commemorate his victory over Antony and Cleopatra, but it was destroyed by a fire in AD 80.
The most distinctive feature of the Pantheon is its massive dome, which has a diameter of 43.3 meters. (Photo / MOOK Travel's Mo Fei)
Emperor Hadrian, who had a passion for Greek architecture, ordered its reconstruction in AD 125. Later, in AD 609, the Byzantine Emperor donated the Pantheon to the Pope, who renamed it the “Church of Saint Mary and the Martyrs,” a name it retains to this day.
Sunlight streaming through the oculus into the church. (Photo / MOOK Travel's Mo Fei)
During Hadrian’s rebuilding, Greek architectural techniques were introduced. The exterior features only eight simple columns and a pediment, while the focus of the renovation was on the interior decoration. The dome’s oculus was preserved to enhance natural lighting inside, and colored marble was used to enrich the color scheme.
It’s hard to imagine how people two thousand years ago managed to construct what appear to be simple stone columns and a pediment. (Photo / MOOK Travel's Mo Fei)
The entire Pantheon structure was cast from concrete. The concrete used by the ancient Romans at that time was made from natural volcanic ash, mixed with various aggregates such as tuff. Heavier aggregates were used at the base of the dome, while lighter ones were layered upward, with the top consisting solely of pumice and porous volcanic rock.
God said: Let there be light. (Photo / MOOK Travel's Mo Fei)
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