The Pantheon

Audio Guide to the Pantheon in Rome and Its Remarkable History, Architecture, and Art

Fourteen centuries after it was built, Michelangelo said that the Pantheon "must have been designed by angels, not humans."

Indeed, the Pantheon is one of the most influential masterpieces of architecture ever, anywhere. Having witnessed and withstood 2,000 years of history, it is testimony to the brilliance and endurance of Western civilization.

With its traditional portico and pediment in front, and the massive dome soaring over a cylindrical sanctuary behind, the Pantheon is perhaps the most celebrated monument in the world. It is unique in its grandeur, the genius of its construction, and its state of preservation.

With Jane guiding you through the Pantheon, you will be immersed in the mystery, meaning and the eternal principles of this ancient monument. You will learn:

• What part Anthony and Cleopatra played in the history of the Pantheon
• Why - for almost 1,900 years - this 'temple to all the gods' was attributed to Agrippa (who died in 12 B.C.), when it was actually built by Emperor Hadrian, circa 127 A.D.
• How such a massive, un-reinforced, poured-concrete dome was built - a feat never accomplished before or since - and why there is a huge hole in the roof
• Why - while other buildings of the Roman Empire disintegrated into ruins - the Pantheon remained standing
• How and why the wall of the rotunda is so much higher outside than it is inside, and why we see windows on the exterior but none on the interior
• How the Pantheon expressed the religious and cultural beliefs of the Roman people, what it signified 2,000 years ago, and what it signifies now; and
• Why Raphael - an artist - was the first person to be buried in the Pantheon, and what archeologists found when his tomb was opened 300 years later.