Pantheon - Rome, Italy

The Pantheon was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome. The intended degree of inclusiveness of this dedication is debated. The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. It is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. It has been in continuous use throughout its history. It was built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa and reconstructed by Hadrian in the early II century AD. Since the VII century, the Pantheon has been used as a Christian church. The building's consecration as a church saved it from the abandonment, destruction, and the worst of the spoliation which befell the majority of ancient Rome's buildings during the early medieval period. Sicne the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Among those buried there are the painters Raphael and Annibale Carracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. Also buried there are two kings of Italy: Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto's Queen, Margherita. In the XV century, the Pantheon was adorned with paintings: the best-known is the Annunciation by Melozzo da Forlì. Architects, like Brunelleschi, who used the Pantheon as help when designing the Cathedral of Florence's dome, looked to the Pantheon as inspiration for their works. Pope Urban VIII (1623 or 1644) ordered the bronze ceiling of the Pantheon's portico melted down. Most of the bronze was used to make bombards for the fortification of Castel Sant'Angelo. It is also said that the bronze was used by Bernini in creating his famous baldachin above the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica. A famous element in the Pantheon is its "Great Eve", the only source of light. The oculus also serves as a cooling and ventilation method. During storms, a drainage system below the floor handles the rain that falls through the oculus. The Pantheon id currently the oldest standing domed structure in Rome. The Pantheon is still a church and masses are still celebrated in the church, particularly on important Catholic days of obligation, and for weddings.