Coming
from the term that means “a gathering
of gods”, this building was a temple
dedicated to not one god, but an entire
host of ancient Roman deities. Remarkably
well preserved, it is made mainly of brick
with a great hemispherical dome, its supporting
walls set in concrete. A vast building,
it was a place for Romans to come and
worship all of their gods at once instead
of having to visit many other shrines
located in various other places.
On the architectural level the main focus
of the building is the central dome. While
not exceedingly large by today’s
standards (although it is still one of
the bigger domes of its type) it was absolutely
huge when it was built; it is also amazing
because it was constructed in a time that
was well before modern construction techniques
were available (like electricity and hydraulics
for example).
The
interior volume is a cylinder above which
rises the hemispherical dome. Opposite
the door is a recessed semicircular apse,
and on each side are three additional
recesses, alternately rectangular and
semicircular, separated from the space
under the dome by paired monolithic columns.
The only natural light enters through
an unglazed oculus at the centre of the
dome and through the bronze doors to the
portico.
The Pantheon at Rome was built by Agrippa
in 27 BC, destroyed, and rebuilt by Hadrian
(the man who built the wall across Scotland).
In 609 it was converted into a Christian
church consecrated to Santa Maria dei
Martiri. The term “Pantheon”
is now applied to a monument in which
illustrious dead are buried.
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