Santa Maria ad Martyres, The Pantheon
Where the gods gathered
Where the gods gathered
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The Pantheon's concrete dome covers a vast rotunda, dedicated originally to "all the gods" (Pan Theos) of ancient Rome, was built by Agrippa, son-in-law to the Emperor Augustus in 27 BCE and rebuilt (118-122 CE) by the Emperor Hadrian. Boniface IV renamed it in 609 CE to Santa Maria ad Martyres (St, Mary and All Martyrs). The structure's top is pierced by an iconic oculus disk open to the sky for light to enter, as well as rain that is carried off by hidden drains in the porphyry flooring. Here are buried Raphael, the renowned painter and architect of the High Renaissance, other artists and composers, and the kings of modern Italy from the House of Savoy.