The Pantheon is one of Rome’s most prominent and prolific buildings. For many, it’s the epitome of ancient Rome and harbours many stories from years gone by. In fact, it’s one of the best-preserved and influential buildings in the city, forming a grand Roman temple that is thought to have been built between AD 118 and 125.
The Pantheon we see today isn’t the original, though. Instead, it sits on the site of an earlier structure of the same name which is thought to have been built around 25 BC.
This original structure was supposedly built as a temple for the Roman gods, as the word “pan” means “all” in Greek, and the word “theos” means “gods”.
Despite it obviously having a lengthy history, the Pantheon’s past is still relatively unknown and has remained clouded in mystery for multiple years. There appear to be no written records about the construction or purpose of the Pantheon, and there are still debates about who designed and built it in the first place.
However, the Pantheon has been a major influencer on other structures and buildings throughout history and all across the world. The Pantheon in Rome today functions as a church as well as a tourist attraction that draws in millions of visitors every single year.
What we do know is that the original version of the Pantheon (the version that was thought to have been constructed in 60 BC) burnt down in 80 AD, was rebuilt by Emperor Domitian, and then destroyed by fire again in 110 AD.
After that, the structure seemed to face a long decline, which abruptly came to an end in 609 AD. This was when Pope Boniface IV was given the go ahead from Phocas, the Byzantine emperor at the time, to turn the Pantheon from a pagan place of worship to a Christian Church. At the time, it was known as the Sancta Maria ad Martyres (Latin for St Mary and the Martyrs).
It was actually the first pagan temple in Rome to be consecrated as a Christian church and it’s thought that the conversion played a huge role in making sure the Pantheon survived as well as it has done. This is because, after it was consecrated, the papacy had the resources to repair and maintain it so we get to appreciate its ancient beauty even today.
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