Pantheon of Rome

The Pantheon, located in "Piazza della Rotonda in Rome", one of the places that has pleased me to visit. Around the Piazza are many shops, restaurants and various musicians that give the place a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. In the middle of the square an Egyptian obelisk building just opposite the Pantheon.

The present building was built in the time of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in command, but a building originally erected by Consul Marcus Agrippa, which was destroyed as shown in inscription on the front facade.

M · AGRIPPA · L · F · COS · TERTIVM · FECIT

Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, Consul for the third time, did

What catches the attention of this building is its imposing dome about 43.30 meters in diameter with a central oculus of 8.92 meters in diameter. Which suggests How was it built? Or What materials did they use?

According to scholars they report that the dome is built with concrete (concrete) whose mixture is formed largely by volcanic rock (pozzolan and pumice) which greatly lightened the total weight of the dome. It indicates that it was emptied into rings and in small quantities, which makes sense because it was a time when there were no concrete trucks and concrete pumps.

Everything was made by man, mixing and distribution on the roof, hauling material from the ground, lifted by ropes and through lots of scaffolding around the building.

 

Moreover large columns, walls and wooden beams that support the roof structure of Pronaos as the internal space covered by the dome are observed. The columns and elaborate that despite having almost 2000 years (Built between 118 and 125) maintains the Romans details made by their creator escultores.Existen indications that the building was architect Apollodorus of Damascus.

 

Today it is used as a church "Saint Mary of the Martyrs", being inside personalities as the master painter Raphael Sanzio "Raffaello" and Vittorio Emanuele II (King Unifier of Italy).

           

 Vittorio Emanuele II                       Painter Raphael Sanzio

The Pantheon a great place to meet both its history and its inspiring atmosphere.