The Pantheon

The Pantheon is an ancient Roman temple remained intact. From the outside, it shows only rectangular structure, with a portico with many columns. The rest of the building forms an ellipse, with a dome 43 meters in diameter. At its peak, a hole is daylight, allowing use as a sundial.

The construction of the building took place between 118 and 125, under Emperor Hadrian. She replaced the temple of Agrippa, after several fires devastated. The dedication on the front panel of the current monument recalls. It means "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius consul for the third time, he built."

In 609, Pope Boniface IV converts the building into a church. He had been offered to the Vatican by the Byzantine Emperor Phocas. Some transformations then intervened. Originally, the niches in the building contained statues of Roman gods. Today they are chapels. Some kings were buried, such as Victor Emmanuel II or Raphael.