The Pantheon (temple of all gods) in Rome is the embodiment of the wealth and luxury of the Roman Empire, a historical monument of ancient culture. The Pantheon in Rome was built in the 2nd century AD.
Traveltipy / flickr.com Diana Robinson / flickr.com Luftphilia / flickr.com Thomas Shahan / flickr.com Moyan Brenn / flickr.com Darren Flinders / flickr.com Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Kari Bluff / flickr.com Jun / flickr. com Stewart Butterfield / flickr.com Giulio Menna / flickr.com Moyan Brenn / flickr.com yeowatzup / flickr.com Fountain in front of the Pantheon in Rome (Diana Robinson / flickr.com) Diana Robinson / flickr.com cogito ergo imago / flickr.com Xiquinho Silva / flickr.com Bruce Harlick / flickr.com Darko / flickr.com
The Temple of All Gods is the embodiment of the wealth and luxury of the Roman Empire and simply a wonderful monument of ancient culture. The Pantheon in Rome was built in the 2nd century AD. e. during the reign of Emperor Hadrian and still retains its mystery and grandeur.
For a long time, people here worshiped pagan deities and even made sacrifices to them, and in the 7th century the temple was consecrated into a Catholic one.
On the facade of the building you can see the inscription “M. Agrippa L.F. Cos. Tertium Fecit", which indicates that the construction was carried out by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, who was elected consul three times. But we are talking about the former pantheon, founded before our era, which was later completed and significantly changed.
The front part of the Temple of All Gods is supported by massive granite columns 14 meters high, such as can be seen in many architectural structures of Ancient Rome.
The Pantheon seems to consist of two buildings - the entrance and the rotunda itself - the main part of a cylindrical shape with a huge dome. Its diameter is 43 meters and despite such dimensions there is not a single window, only round hole in the dome is the oculus or eye of the pantheon.
Dome of the Pantheon, Rome (Jun / flickr.com)
This is due to the fact that one input for sun rays at that time symbolized the single beginning of all gods, they say, in different times years, a stream of light from the eye fell first on one stone idol standing in a recess along the wall, then on another; unfortunately, the statues have not survived to this day. The height of the building is 42 meters, which creates an atmosphere of grandeur inside.
The dome has a perfect spherical shape and is truly an architectural marvel. 140 caissons decorate it and at the same time support the structure, significantly reducing the weight of the vault.
From the base of the temple to the oculus, the thickness of the wall decreases, thereby ensuring the durability and safety of the building. Scientists have calculated that the weight of the dome is approximately five tons; even before the 19th century it was considered the largest in the world.
Paintings and sculptures from the 18th century remind us that the temple has long ceased to be a pantheon in its true meaning, that is, a place for the worship of pagan gods. This is Mary with Jesus in her arms, Jesus next to an unidentified saint, a fresco of the Madonna with a belt and St. Nikolai and others.
Fountain in front of the Pantheon in Rome (Diana Robinson / flickr.com)
In front of the pantheon itself there is an equally ancient fountain. During the history of its existence, it was restored several times. At first it was a figured pool, and water flowed from a bowl in the middle.
Then steps appeared, dummy rocks and dolphins surrounded grotesque masks, the back of which were the faces of dragons - the special heraldic symbol of Pope Gregory XIII.
In 1711, at the request of Pope Clement XI, the fountain was improved; an ancient Egyptian obelisk that once belonged to Ramses II was installed in the middle and decorated with the symbols of the papal family - an eight-pointed star with three hills (papal triara) and crossed keys above it.
IN late XIX centuries, the original marble sculpture was dismantled and sent to the Museum of Rome. Currently, in front of the pantheon there is only a copy made by designer Luigi Amici.
The Roman Pantheon - the tomb of great people
Many artists and scientists visited the temple during the history of its existence and they all admired its unsurpassed power and luxury.
Michelangelo called the temple of all gods the creation of angels, and Raphael Santi dreamed of being buried here, in his opinion, in a place connecting people and gods. And so it happened, after the artist’s death his body was laid to rest in the pantheon, and since then it has become the burial place of great people.
In the Middle Ages, the temple of all gods began to be used as a Christian church; the same fate was destined for many other pagan shrines, if they were not demolished at all.
Interior of the Pantheon in Rome (Darren Flinders / flickr.com)
The architect Bernini in the 16th century decided to build two small bell towers on top of the rotunda. But not all pagan symbols could be combined with Christianity.
The extension looked completely ridiculous. Popularly referred to as “Bernini’s donkey ears” stood there for two centuries, but as a result they were eventually demolished.
The dome was originally covered with gilded bronze, but this was melted down to make the ciborium for St. Peter's Basilica.
On May 13, 609, the Pantheon was consecrated and transformed into the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs. This date began to be celebrated as All Saints' Day. This feast was later moved when Pope Gregory III dedicated the chapel in St. Peter's Basilica on November 1.
How and when to get to the Pantheon?
The Pantheon is located in Piazza della Rotonda, the nearest metro station is Barberini. Open to visitors from 9:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, and on all other days from 8:30 to 19:30. Visiting is free.
Poems were written about him; tourists who came to Italy flock to him; his images are taken home in photographs and postcards. Located in Rome, the Temple of All Gods (or, as this building is now called, the Pantheon) at the time of its construction was dedicated to the main gods revered in the majestic building is one of the most famous architectural monuments of the ancient period that has survived to this day. Years passed, the world changed, and after the fall of the empire, the pagan sanctuary was consecrated as the Christian Church of St. Mary and the New Martyrs.
Story. First Pantheon - Pantheon of Agrippa
The first Temple of all the gods in Rome was built between 27 and 25 BC. Despite the fact that the construction was carried out on the territory of the Roman Empire, the name of the Temple of All Gods in Rome comes from the Greek words: “pan” - “comprehensive”, and “theon”, which means “divine”. It was dedicated to the main gods of the Romans:
- Jupiter is the supreme god of thunder, who corresponds to Zeus in Greek mythology.
- Neptune - the god of the seas and earthquakes, the Greek equivalent is Poseidon.
- Mars is the god of war; the Greek Ares corresponds to him.
- Venus - the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite in Hellas.
- Pluto - the god of the underground - Hades.
- Mercury - messenger of the gods, patron of merchants and travelers (Hermes in Ancient Greece).
- Saturn - the titan of time, the Greek version is Kronos (Chronos).
The management of the construction was taken over by the emperor's close friend and son-in-law, consul Marcus Agrippa, as evidenced by the inscription on the building in bronze letters. The first Pantheon faced the south and had a rectangular shape. The main decoration of the facade of the Roman Pantheon were columns and caryatids - statues of dressed women, replacing the columns that first appeared in Ancient Greece. Opposite the Pantheon, on the opposite side of the square, stood the Temple of Neptune. At least this is the description of the Temple of all the gods in Rome that has reached us.
The first Roman Pantheon burned down in a fire in the first century AD, but, like many other temples, it was rebuilt under the Emperor Domitian, and its remains are now located at a depth of about two and a half meters.
Construction of the modern Temple of All Gods in Rome
The Pantheon of Marcus Agrippa, restored under Domitian, was finally destroyed during his reign due to the fact that it was struck by lightning, so under the emperor Hadrian, who wanted “this sanctuary of all the gods to represent the globe and the celestial sphere,” it was completely rebuilt.
According to the markings on the bricks that make up the temple, its construction took place in the first half of the second century AD. The architect was one of the largest architects of the time, Apollodorus of Damascus, who supervised the construction of significant buildings (among them the Baths and the Arc de Triomphe) not only under Hadrian, but also before him, under Trajan.
Architectural features
Unlike its predecessor, the Pantheon of Apollodorus was oriented to the north, and its size increased significantly. Moreover, in the new project a podium of eight steps was added to the architectural composition. The temple can accommodate a sphere - an ideal model of the Universe - with a diameter of 43 meters. The very architecture of the Temple of All Gods reflects the Romans' ideas about the structure of the universe. The walls of the temple are quite thick, and their composition changes with height - at the bottom they are denser, and their upper part consists of lighter materials.
Of course, the most famous view is from the facade - in most photographs of the Temple of All Gods in Rome, you can see sixteen tall columns on which a triangular pediment rests. On the pediment there is the same inscription as on the Pantheon of Agrippa. Under the pediment there are holes with the help of which a bronze image of a symbol of power was attached - an eagle with outstretched wings, which holds an oak wreath in its beak. The many bronze images by Diogenes of Athens that decorated the facade were later used when working on St. Peter's Basilica, an act many people at the time considered barbaric.
Pantheon after the fall of the empire
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Pantheon escaped destruction only because it was converted into a church in 608 AD by Pope Boniface IV, who a year later consecrated it in honor of St. Mary and the Martyrs. The name was due to the fact that it was here that the relics were transported from the Roman catacombs. About forty-five years later, the Emperor of Constantinople, Constans II, removed the bronze bronzes from the former Temple of All Gods decorative elements and gilded tiles, which were replaced with lead only almost two centuries after the visit of the Constantinople monarch. In addition, after the Pantheon became a Christian temple, all objects of the pagan cult of the Romans and images of Roman gods were destroyed. An altar was erected in the temple, sculptural images of saints and frescoes with biblical scenes appeared.
In subsequent years, the fate of this majestic structure was also unenviable. Long time it was in disrepair, as, for example, during the At some period, it found itself at the center of the struggle between the noble Roman families of Colonna and Orsini, serving as a fortress.
Who is buried in the Temple of All Gods?
The Renaissance brought the tradition of burials in large cathedrals outstanding people of its time. It did not bypass the Pantheon, where many Renaissance painters found their final refuge, including one of the greatest masters of his era - Raphael Santi, who lies here with his bride Maria Bibbiena, the architect Baldassare Peruzzi, and the musician Arcangelo Corelli.
The Savoy dynasty is also buried here. IN former Temple of all the gods, the first of the kings of a united Italy was buried - Victor Emannuil II, Father of the Fatherland, as the inscription on his tombstone says. He was renowned for his hard work for the country and his struggle for its unity. The son and successor of the unifier of Italy, King Umberto, who was shot in 1900, is also buried in the Pantheon, next to his father. Thirty-six years later, Umberto’s wife, Queen Margaret, was also buried in the Pantheon. The guard at the royal burials is provided on a voluntary basis by representatives of the National Institute of Honorary Guard.
Excursions to the Pantheon
You can come to the Pantheon either on an organized excursion, for example, during a tour of Rome, or you can go on your own, seeing with your own eyes the grandeur of ancient architecture. Entrance to the temple is open from half past eight in the morning to half past seven in the evening and is absolutely free, but it is closed to visitors on January 1, May 1 and December 25 - on public holidays. The Pantheon is located in Piazza della Rotonda. However, there are a number of details that need to be taken into account when visiting.
What should you remember when visiting the Pantheon?
If someone decides to visit the Pantheon - Temple of All Gods - while in Rome, he must remember that he must follow some rules.
- In the Pantheon, first of all, the dress code must be observed, since it is a working temple. Clothes must be closed. As a last resort, you can wrap one of the scarves from the basket near the entrance around yourself.
- You cannot bring food or drinks into the temple.
- Must be disabled mobile phone. But at the same time, you can take photographs and record videos in the temple.
Curious facts
One of the important distinctive features cultural object we were considering was the fact that the Temple of All Gods in Ancient Rome was the only place where absolutely any resident of the city could come and pray to their gods. This was an innovation, because previously only priests had access to temples.
Only once a year - on the day of the summer equinox, June 21 - sunlight, passing through the “Eye of the Pantheon” (a round hole in the center of the temple dome), illuminates the people entering the temple. On other days, at noon, the sunlight forms a kind of “pillar”, and at other times it alternately illuminates niches with sculptures of saints, where statues of gods were previously installed.
The rounded shape of the main part of the Pantheon is due to the fact that there was once a pool on this site, whose foundation became the basis for the temple built by Agrippa.
The Pantheon, from the Italian Pantheon, is one of the most ancient and visited attractions of Rome. It is also a historical and architectural monument of Ancient Rome, a legacy of the Renaissance.
Literally, the Pantheon is translated as the Ham of all Gods. The Roman Pantheon is more than two thousand years old, it was erected on the site of the previous Pantheon, built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa between 27 and 25 BC, as a temple dedicated to the twelve gods and the Monarch. It is believed that the current building that we can see today is the result of a radical reconstruction of the structure commissioned by Emperor Hadrian between 118 and 125 AD.
On the pediment of the Panthion there is a Latin inscription: “M. AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIUM FECIT", which translated sounds like: "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, three times consul, erected this."
The Pantheon was originally an ancient pagan temple. Later, on May 13, 609, when the Byzantine Emperor Phocas donated the temple to Pope Boniface IV, the Pantheon was consecrated as a Christian catholic church Saint Mary and the Martyrs (Santa Maria ad Martires). It was from then on that May 13 began to be celebrated as the Feast of All Saints among Catholics. True, later, somewhere in the middle of the eighteenth century, Pope Gregory III on November 1 consecrated one of the chapels of St. Peter's Basilica, in honor of All Saints. And from now on, the date of celebration of All Saints' Day for Catholics and Protestants falls on November 1.
The Pantheon is a truly grandiose structure; here, like nowhere else, you can touch the history of centuries, although there are many such places in Rome, take at least the most famous and other majestic buildings of Rome. In addition, in those days the building of the Pantheon was a great engineering achievement of antiquity.
Currently, in addition to the historical and architectural heritage, the Pantheon attracts many tourists with its interesting and unusual architecture. The fact is that there are no windows at all in the Pantheon, and the only source of light is a large round hole, 9 meters in diameter, located in the dome of the Pantheon. It is through this hole that sunlight penetrates into the Pantheon, illuminating the interior.
In clear sunny weather, the beam of light penetrating this hole in the ceiling is not scattered, but flows directly from the dome to the floor, which attracts attention. In case of rain, water falling down flows into 22, almost invisible holes in the floor. And when it snows, snowflakes falling into the opening of the dome, thanks to the wind and the internal atmosphere in the Pantheon, form fabulous swirls, similar to dancing.
There is only one hole in the Pantheon, not because the Romans were too lazy to cut through the walls, no, this was done on purpose, since in Ancient Rome one hole meant the unity of all deities.
View of the Pantheon from the rear of the building, from Via della Palombella
The kings of Italy are buried in the Pantheon: Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I, Queen Margaret of Savoy and the great Italian painter and architect Raphael.
Entrance to the Pantheon is completely free. The temple is open to the public from 8.30 to 19.30 on weekdays and from 9.00 to 18.00 on Sundays. Closed to the public on some holidays. Located in the very center of the historical part of Rome, at the address: Piazza della Rotonda, 00186 Roma, Italy. You can get there on foot or by metro, the nearest station is Barberini.
Rotunda Square in Rome
The Pantheon is located on the square Piazza della Rotonda or simply, as it is popularly called, Piazza del Pantheon and Rotunda Square.
This small but quite cozy square is located at the main entrance to the Pantheon. And it is named after its main building, the Pantheon.
Around the square you can see buildings built in several architectural styles. Along the perimeter of the square there are hotels and cafes with open terraces, and in the center it is decorated with a fountain of the same name - Fontana del Pantheon.
This Renaissance fountain was built around 1575 by the architect Giacomo della Porta. The fountain originally consisted of a rectangular tank of gray African marble, and in the basin of the fountain there were porphyry and two stone lions. In 1711, by the will of Pope Clement XI Albani, the Fountain del Pantheon was reconstructed and topped with a tall Obelisk.
Later, in 1974 and 1991-1992, the fountain also underwent reconstruction.
Pantheon Pantheon
(Latin Pantheon, from Greek Pantheion - a temple or place dedicated to all gods), 1) in Ancient Rome - “temple of all gods” ( cm. Pantheon (in Rome)). 2) The tomb of outstanding people. Typically, pantheons are located in buildings that have (or originally had) a religious purpose (Westminster Abbey in London, the Pantheon in Paris). Cm. also Tomb.
Pantheon in Rome. Around 125 AD Interior.
(Source: “Popular art encyclopedia.” Edited by V.M. Polevoy; M.: Publishing house " Soviet encyclopedia", 1986.)
pantheon(Latin pantheon, from Greek pántheion - a temple dedicated to all gods), an outstanding monument of ancient Roman architecture, the most grandiose domed structure of antiquity. Built in 115–125. n. e. under the Emperor Hadrian, possibly by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus, who gave the Roman structure Greek harmony and beauty. IN architectural forms The temple embodied the desire to express the greatness of the empire. In its height (43 m) the building is twice as tall Parthenon. The excellent preservation of the temple was ensured by the use of concrete and brick. The building is a huge cylinder, to which is attached a majestic portico with three rows of Corinthian columns and a triangular pediment. The architect softened the feeling of heaviness and massiveness of the wall by dividing it from the outside into three horizontal belts and coloring the false ones. arches. Inside, the walls are decorated with marble cladding and niches in which statues of gods once stood.
The Pantheon is crowned with a huge dome, the weight of which is lightened with the help of square recesses (caissons). In ancient times, they were decorated with bronze rosettes, likening the dome to the vault of heaven. The strength of the powerful walls, more than 6 m thick, is reinforced by a system of internal arches. There are no windows in the building. Light enters through a round hole in the dome with a diameter of 9 m (oculus). The interior evokes a feeling of harmony and peace. The smooth outlines of the round hall and the hemisphere of the dome create a feeling of integrity and completeness. The surface of the floor rises slightly towards the center, as if echoing the sphericity of the vault.
From the 7th century The Pantheon is in the possession of the Pope and is Christian Church(Santa Maria Rotunda). Many prominent artists are buried there, including Raphael.
(Source: “Art. Modern illustrated encyclopedia.” Edited by Prof. Gorkin A.P.; M.: Rosman; 2007.)
Synonyms:
See what "Pantheon" is in other dictionaries:
pantheon- a, m. pantheon, germ. Pantheon, lat. pantheon 1. An ancient Greek or Roman temple dedicated to many gods. BAS 1. In ancient times, temples dedicated to all gods were called pantheons: the thunderer Jupiter, the blacksmith Vulcan, and the important... ... Historical Dictionary Gallicisms of the Russian language
- (Greek, from pan all, and Theos god). 1) the ancient Greeks and Romans had a temple dedicated to all gods. 2) a shrine dedicated to a great, world-famous, such as, for example, in Paris a building dedicated to the memory of great people. Dictionary of foreign words included in... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
- [te], pantheon, husband. (from Greek pan everything and theos god). 1. The building where the remains of prominent people are kept (book). Parisian Pantheon. 2. The totality of all deities in some polytheistic religion (rel.). 3. The name of literary collections,... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
- (Latin Pantheon from Greek Pantheion a place dedicated to all gods), 1) in Dr. Rome is the temple of all gods.2) The tomb of outstanding people (Pantheon in Rome and Paris, Westminster Abbey in London) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Temple, rotunda, place of eternal rest, tomb Dictionary of Russian synonyms. pantheon noun, number of synonyms: 4 place of eternal rest (4) ... Dictionary of synonyms
- [te], ah, husband. 1. A monumental building, a burial place for prominent figures. 2. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans: a temple dedicated to all gods. 3. The totality of gods which n. religion (book). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
- (proper Pantheion) in ancient times, temples dedicated to all gods. The most famous is the Roman P.; built in 25 or 27 BC. Marcus Agrippa, on the Campus Martius, near the baths he built. It was dedicated to the deities of the Julian family,... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
- (from the Greek Pantheion, temple of all gods) English. pantheon; German Pantheon. 1. In ancient religions, a temple dedicated to all or many gods. 2. In polytheism, all the gods worshiped by k.l. by the people. 3. Tomb of outstanding people. Antinazi. Encyclopedia... ... Encyclopedia of Sociology
- (Latin Pantheon - a place dedicated to all gods) 1) among the ancient Greeks and Romans - a temple dedicated to all gods; 2) the totality of all the gods of a particular cult; 3) tomb of outstanding people. Big explanatory dictionary in cultural studies.. Kononenko... ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies
The Pantheon is the “temple of all gods”, the most beautiful of the classical monuments of ancient Roman civilization. Built as a pagan chapel, five centuries later it became a Christian shrine.
The Pantheon building, which can now be found in Rome, was built in the 2nd century, when Emperor Hadrian was in power. This building served as a copy of the temple that once stood here, destroyed by severe fires, first in 80 and later in the 2nd century. Hadrian restored the temple of all the gods and did not want to take credit for the merits of its creator. The founder of the original Pantheon was Marcus Agrippa. In 25 BC. e. he erected a majestic temple building. The Latin inscription at the entrance reads: “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, elected consul for the third time, built this.” A smaller inscription reports the restoration of 202, carried out under Septimius Severus and Caracalla.
Rites and ceremonies were performed in the Pantheon in honor of the most revered Roman gods - Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Neptune, Pluto, Mercury and Saturn. In ancient times, in the center of the building, under an opening in the dome, there was an altar on which animals were burned to be sacrificed to the omnipotent gods.
The form of the monumental temple goes back to the tradition of Italian construction of sanctuaries and huts. This is a massive round structure with a dome that appears almost flat from the outside, but from the inside its height is impressive, it is half the volume of the temple itself. During construction, it was thought that the Pantheon should impress primarily with its interior decoration, so it was distinguished by greater grandeur than its exterior. However, this does not mean that exterior decoration The builders of the temple did not pay enough attention.
The triangle of the pediment of the ceremonial portico at the entrance is supported by 16 gigantic columns. Their round bases and Corinthian capitals are made of Greek marble, and the columns themselves are made of monoliths of red Egyptian granite. The dome of the pantheon is covered with gilded bronze plates. But interesting fact is that there is not a single window in the pantheon. It is only light here during the day, when light penetrates inside through a round hole in the dome. It is very large, with a diameter of 9 meters, so it is more than enough for both lighting and for the release of smoke when parishioners performed rituals with sacrifices.
The sun's rays did not spread completely throughout the room, but as they descended, they created a kind of light column. It seems that you can touch the light here, this pillar is so light. The second version of the construction of a hole in the roof vault had a symbolic meaning, supposedly it was a kind of window to heaven. During the celebrations, people prayed and looked through the hole into the sky, where, according to ancient beliefs, the gods were located, and the ceiling did not interfere with them at all.
There are legends about the appearance of this hole in the dome. One of them says that during the consecration of the temple, many demons who lived there rushed about in fear, looking for a way out. They hit the walls and ceiling and could not escape. The strongest demon tried to break the roof and punched a hole in the center with its horns.
Film tour of the Pantheon in Rome
