Rome Series, Post 4: The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon was originally commissioned and built by Marcus Agrippa in the year 27 BC. The majestic structure that still stands in Rome today was rebuilt in 126 AD by the Emperor Hadrian, who had the original inscription added to his reconstruction. The Pantheon was built to honor the ancient Roman gods, though it became a Roman Catholic church in the 7th century dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs. The Roman Catholic altar remains inside to the present day, and regularly scheduled services take place there.

Even though we knew intellectually that the Pantheon was a large building, it was absolutely stunning to see its massive scale up close and in person. The Pantheon boasts the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, even today.

The portico of the Pantheon is supported by three rows of Corinthian columns (four if you count the columns built flush with the walls). The Latin inscription is Marcus Agrippa's original dedication, and says "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, having been consul three times made it."

Just look at the size of those doors!!

The oculus is wide open to the elements, and is still lined with the original ancient Roman bronze. The dome is built with gradient weights of materials, with the heaviest being travertine and tufa toward the bottom, and the lightest being pumice stone at the top of the dome. 

View of the entrance from inside the Pantheon.

Several notable Italians are entombed within the Pantheon. Absolute silence is demanded in the presence of the tomb of Vittorio Emanuale II, the first modern King of unified Italy.

Vittorio Emanuele II's son and heir to the throne of Italy, Umberto I, is also entombed within the Pantheon. Fresh flowers are always on display at the Pantheon's tombs. Also buried in the Pantheon are the famous Italian painter Raphael and his fiancee.

The light coming in through the oculus circles the interior throughout the daylight hours. Any rain that falls through the oculus is collected into the ancient Roman drain pipes below, which are still completely functional.

Convex section of floor that funnels rainwater into the drain pipes.

The Trevi Fountain is a relatively short (but uphill) stroll from the Pantheon. Completed in 1762, it marks the end of the ancient Roman Aqua Virgo aqueduct. The scene depicts the discovery of fresh water near Rome in 19 BC. Several levels of stairs face the fountain to accommodate the ever-present crowds of tourist photographers.

Rome Series, Post 3: The Roman Forum

The magnificent Roman Forum lies between the Colosseum, Domitian's Palace, the Vittorio Emanuele II monument, and the via Dei Fori Imperiali. The Forum was the seat of government in the Roman Empire, and the center of public life for the ancient Romans. Celebratory processions, feasts and banquets, and diplomatic meetings were all held within the Forum. There were striking classical temples erected to honor the Roman gods and deified Emperors, and sprawling public buildings. The remaining structures that we can see today are sadly only a small part of the original heart of the Roman Empire, thanks mostly to the Catholic Church and to a lesser but still significant degree, Benito Mussolini. Many of the temples have been reduced to unrecognizable heaps of rubble. The famed Temple of Caesar, where the funeral of Caesar himself took place, is easily missed altogether due to its destruction. All that remains of the Temple of Vesta is a small segment of the circular wall.

The Romans inarguably built their structures to withstand the centuries, as we can see by other architectural wonders such as the Pantheon and the Castel Sant'Angelo. This is what is so infuriating about the current condition of the Roman Forum--without the careless destruction wrought by Mussolini in the name of progress and modernity, and the prolific "borrowing" of building materials by the Catholic Church, there would most definitely be a lot more of the Roman Forum still standing. But enough of the indignant preservation-of-history soapbox.

Due to a combination of circumstances, including two small children who were getting tired--and a surprisingly in-depth crash course on the history of the Roman Forum given by our awesome tour guide (the one from our Palatine Hill tour), we did not enter the Roman Forum. Instead, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Forum from the botanical gardens atop the Palatine Hill and then saw the ruins up close from the street.

 The massive arches belong to the Basilica of Maxentius. This was the largest building in the Forum, and at the time of its construction, it was the largest structure ever built. To the left is the Temple of Romulus, which was also built by Maxentius to honor his son.

To the left of the Temple of Romulus is the Temple of the Deified Antonius and Faustina. It was dedicated first to the Emperor Antonius Pius's wife upon her death, and then when he died the inscription was changed to acknowledge them both. The building contained within the original pronaos is the San Lorenzo in Miranda Roman Catholic Church, which was built in the early Middle Ages.

A closer view of the Temple of Romulus. The bronze doors are original to the temple, built in 309.

The Temple of Venus and Rome was a massive temple erected by two of the great Emperors of Rome: Hadrian and Antonius Pius. After it was damaged by fire, the Emperor Maxentius oversaw reconstruction. The Temple of Venus and Rome is believed to be the largest temple of ancient Rome. On occasion, the Pope has led public services from the temple.

This area was the Forum of Caesar. At least five Emperors created their own forum areas in addition to the central Roman Forum. The blocky brick building in the background is where the Senate met.

This shot is looking across Caesar's Forum and the Sacred Way, toward the Temple of Vesta and the Palatine Hill.

The modern and ancient clash discordantly, with the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II towering over the Roman Forum. This monument has been the source of much controversy due to its ostentatious appearance and poor choice of placement. The three columns standing are the ruin of the Temple of Venus Genetrix.

Another view of Caesar's Forum and the back of the Curia.

The Temple of Venus Genetrix alongside the Vittorio Emanuele II monument.

The Temple of Venus Genetrix. In the background is the Temple of Antonius and Faustina, and the Curia. The Curia was partially converted to the Basilica of Sant'Adriano al Foro.

Though little remains of the Emperor Trajan's forum, his triumphant column is still standing. It is covered in pictographs of his conquest of Dacia (Romania).

Ruins of the Forum of Trajan.

The Roman Forum was an amazing sight to behold, although it evokes an equal amount of anger and awe because of the needless destruction that was inflicted upon this priceless site of world heritage.

While fact-checking for this post, I found a much more thorough guide to the Roman Forum by Rick Archer. You can read about his trip to the Forum here. He has also included wonderful comparisons between photos of the Forum today and digital recreations of what it would have looked like under the Roman Empire.

A Special Request

This is off-topic for our blog, but for a good cause--our friend's niece.

Alexis is nine years old and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was eight. She was in remission for nine months, but has recently relapsed and the cancer is attacking her bone marrow. She's looking at aggressive chemotherapy and probably a bone marrow transplant as well.

Her family would like for her to receive postcards and trinkets from as many different places around the world as possible, to let her know that people worldwide are thinking of her. They are starting a map where they will add pins for each different country and state that Alexis receives a card from.

We have noticed that our readers are spread out across the globe, and we'd like to ask you to help Alexis fill in her map and let her know that she is far from alone while she struggles to overcome leukemia. As you all can see, our son is very near Alexis' age--it is hard to imagine a child Landon's age having to fight to survive against cancer. Please join us in showing Alexis our support and love.

You can send your postcards to:

Team Alexis
P.O. Box 2811
LaCrosse, WI 54602
USA

Thank you to all of our readers across the world who continue to follow our adventures!