Pantheon Guided Tour

Find out how the structure influenced one of the excellent artists of the Renaissance when Raphael chose it as his place of eternal rest. Established by Marcus Agrippa in between 25 and 27 BC as a temple to the 12 gods, the structure was initially part of a complex created on his property in the Campus Martius.

Find out exactly how the remains of many martyrs were removed from the Christian catacombs and put in the Pantheon on the orders of Pope Boniface IV In 608. Marvel at the enormous dome with a size of 43,30 meters and its popular oculus that enables natural light to illuminate the stunning interior.

Pantheon

The heart of the ancient Campus Martius or Field of Mars was close by the Piazza Navona, in the area surrounding the Pantheon. It is still a district of small, busy side streets swarming with churches, palazzi, and enticing squares. Beside the Palazzo Madama, former residence of the Medici and now the home of the Senate, stands the church of San Luigi dei Francesi – literally, St Louis of the French. Completed in 1589, it is the national church for French expatriates in Rome, and its stately facade displays the salamander, emblem of Francis I.

Inside are three famous paintings by Caravaggio illustrating the life of St Matthew. Not far away, make sure you visit the attractive Renaissance courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza. Here you will find a little jewel by the Baroque architect Borromini: the Sant’Ivo Chapel. Leaving the maze of straight and shadowy side streets, you suddenly come out into the Piazza della Rotonda: a beautiful setting for the imposing bulk of the Pantheon.

This, the best preserved of all Rome’s ancient monuments, was raised by Agrippa in the first century BC; rebuilt by Hadrian ( 117-138), it was transformed into a church in the seventh century. The dome which crowns its geometric design is 43.30 m ( 142 ft) in diameter and one of the largest ever constructed.

Two other important Roman churches lie close to the Pantheon. Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the city’s only Gothic building, overlooks a square with a sculpture of an elephant carrying an obelisk: one of Bernini’s caprices. Further to the north, Sant’Ignazio is famous for its painted vaulting, celebrating St Ignatius of Loyola’s triumphal entry to Paradise.