Pantheon

A Roman temple from antiquity, the Pantheon, was converted into a Catholic church in the seventh century. The "Santa Maria Rotonda" is the name of the church, which was built in honor of "St. Mary and the Martyrs."

The original temple was constructed as early as the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus but was rebuilt several times, first by Trajan and finally completed by Hadrian in the year 126 A.D. The main building is famous because it has an opening at the top of its massive dome. The building is cylindrical with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height of the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43 meters (142 ft).

The Pantheon is a state property, managed by Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism through the Polo Museale del Lazio. In 2013, it was visited by over 6 million people.

Location: Roma, Italy

Architect: Trajan, Hadrian