Armchair Traveller: The Pantheon

Address: Piazza della Rotunda, 00186 Rome, Italy

Architect: Carlo Scarpa

Website: http://www.pantheon-rome.com/

This week we are visiting one of the best preserved ancient buildings in the world – the Pantheon. A former temple devoted to the Ancient Roman gods, it was converted into a Christian church in 609 CE.

First built between the years 25-27 BCE, the building we see today was constructed around 118-125 CE when the second rebuild of the temple burnt down. A popular tourist attraction, the Pantheon has the distinction of having been in continuous use for almost two millennia.

One of the most interesting things about the building is its construction. The building has a massive dome constructed out of concrete.

If you thought that concrete was a twentieth century invention, think again. The Ancient Romans developed a very durable form of concrete that to this day remains unmatched by modern technology.

Click here to watch a YouTube clip that has an awesome 3D CAD model of the Pantheon.

Click here to read an ABC article about Roman concrete.

• Article: Vanessa Couzens
• Image 1: An exterior view of the Pantheon (Photographer – Vanessa Couzens)
• Image 2: A view of the oculus opening at the top of the Pantheon dome (Photographer: Vanessa Couzens)