A Historical Tour of Rome's Pantheon
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- The best-preserved Roman temple. The most impressive product of Roman engineering. Arguably the most influential building of all time. As a monument, and as a relic of the classical world, Rome's Pantheon stands alone. This video explores some frequently overlooked aspects of this fascinating structure.
For more on Roman concrete and building techniques, check out my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
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If you're interested in booking a tour of the Pantheon, I recommend Through Eternity Tours, a Rome-based company that specializes in custom, in-depth experiences. Save 5% on any private or group tour with the discount code TOLDINSTONE.
www.througheternity.com/en/ro...
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:04 Construction
3:28 The Portico
7:06 Renaissance vandalism
8:34 The Rotunda
9:30 Decoration of the interior
10:22 Chapels and tombs
11:11 The Dome
12:16 The Oculus
13:12 Significance and meaning
Thanks for watching!
My visit to the Pantheon in 1944 was all inspiring to a 19 year old GI who knew nothing about Romans or concrete. The doors, interior structure and the dome were overwhelming. After walking around and listening to the stately organ near the far wall I was invited by the organist to play that organ for a time even though I was only an amateur musician. It was a rare treat that I remember even today after all those years.. It was a momentous time that truly made my day...
This is a really interesting story, thanks for sharing it
Thank you for your service and the memory.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful memory. I can just imagine it. I was there in 1972 and I paid my respects to King Victor Emmanuel the last King of Italy. My Italian grandmother always spoke so well of the King and his nephew The Duke Of The Abruzzi who lived in her hometown. It was a very sacred and solemn place. I felt safe and at peace inside the Pantheon. When I left the Pantheon I boarded the train for Abruzzi to find my family.
I want to thank you for your service. I am a woman Vietnam Era Navy Veteran and I proudly salute you. Playing the organ in the Pantheon was such an honor. How wonderful you must’ve felt and how powerful the music must’ve sounded in that acoustically sound Rotunda. You were blest. A momentous experience.
"my visit". Pretty casual considering that place was a warzone at that time. Lol
Early 90s i was stationed in northern Italy. The uncle of my Italian girlfriend took us around for a few days and showed us so much that i was physically overwhelmed by it all. Every time I share my experience with others, to this day, gives me goosebumps.
To understand the enormity of the Pantheon, you have to visit. Photos can give you an idea, but to walk inside through those giant doors and under the great dome is an experience in itself. I'd love to go back
I loved it,loved the floors too,most people don’t pay as much attention to what they’re walking on😎. Awesome place all around
@Nova Silas definitely, been watching on Flixzone} for since november myself :)
Same with the pyramids
@@2jz-boi look at this spamming going on, all are fake and done by bot
Some of my best photos I have ever taken in my life were of the inside of the Pantheon. It was the subject, not the photographer:)…I laid on the ground in the middle and took a totally flat photo of the ceiling. If you ever go there, try it.
Standing inside this building makes real the enormous power of ancient Rome.
So well said!
Built by the many slaves Rome was forcing to build their buildings
Just don't try sitting on the floor.
The guards will tell you straight up that sitting on the floor is not allowed.
@@Just_another_Euro_dude don't relativate slavery
Pretty tiny compared to Egypt’s stuff
Last time I was in Rome I spent an entire day in there, great
The Glory that was Greece, & the Grandeur that was Rome: Edgar A Poe.
An entire day?? No
Walking into the Pantheon is like traveling back in time. I was transported to Ancient Rome.
The oculus of the pantheon also worked as a annual calendar. It would shine a solar spotlight on particular deities associated with specific times of the year.
The pantheon is an experience. Each time I walk in I feel a connection with the past, thinking of all the people throughout the ages who have stood there & looked up. It has a soul. A wonderful video. Thank you so much!
Thats exactly what i was thinking as i stood in the centre looking up in January 2007. Fantastic experience.
I visited it and i was meandering in Rome and happened upon it.
I’ve never had the sheer sense of age except in the presence of very old trees.
Rome is old itself many building dating back to the Middle Ages but when you’re in the presence of this building it’s so old it feels as old as the stone of earth. It’s still glorious and beautiful but you really do step in time when you enter. You could very well be a Roman Pagan Priest or Priestess.
Walking into that building was one of the few times in my life I was literally awestruck.
I know just how you felt
I agree and that was the same exact feeling when walking up to the colosseum and seeing it. I stopped watching it could not believe it when I was at the Pantheon it was a light rain and it was coming down made it even more surreal. The only other place that left me as awestruck was Tulum in Mexico that place is incredible as well.
it is chilling to suddenly come upon the Pantheon as you are walking in Rome...gelato across the piazza ain't bad either.
It's a nice one-two punch
I worked at a pub behing it right before you come out at the torre argentina
That gelato place across the square was the best we had in Italy, and my son had to try every one that we passed.
@@richhagenchicago My favorite was the pistachio and rasberry..recommended by the server. The best I ever had.
My feelings exactly. So surprised at the beauty...the 2 people I was with had to wait while I went inside and was just blown away. There was a Mass going on and I rcd Communion. Touched the granite pillars as I exited practically floating, with a huge smile on my face. Loved those huge doors.
Although this building is over 2000 years old, inside the portals above look to be almost a modern design. This illustrates how many modern designs are actually resurrections of old designs in many cases. The doors to the building are huge and it is difficult to accept that this building is as old as it is. It is an experience to see it.
It's probably good to keep in mind that in its long history, the building (like Rome itself) has been damaged, rebuilt and altered many, many times. This makes it hard to distinguish Roman, Medieval, Early Modern and Modern parts of the building. So instead of considering it as an 'original/surviving Roman' building, it's more an example of 'living' architecture, altered over time to fit people's needs and tastes
I would say it rather illustrates the timelessness of truly good design.
Except that “modern designs” somehow still manage to look like trash in comparison to a 2000 year old building..
And don’t forget they were also functional as mentioned in the video to save weight which is really cool
@@jemert96 I think you overstate the changes over time. Most of the structure is original, and the few changes were primarily cosmetic.
Great presentation! I know Raphael Sanzio has his resting place there. I had the first date with my wife in Raphael's birth house in Urbino! Not only do you manage to make a professional documentary surpassing big production companies, but they are likeable, intriguing and educational. Well done!
Thank you very much!
Can I say your presentations are far superior to anything that passes for a vapid "documentary" on the History Channel and Discovery? My all time favourite aspect of the Pantheon has always been that stunning coffered dome. Not only does it serve a practical function of weight alleviation, but it's also truly beautiful to gaze upon.
That's very kind of you to say. And yes, there really isn't anything like that dome.
History channel? You mean the alien channel?
You forgot to mention the fascinating movement of the light from the Oculus, especially on various days of the year, when the sunlight hits the door exactly. When the Pantheon was built the only source of light was the oculus in the center of the dome. The opening measures 8.2m in diameter and is also referred to as ‘The Eye of the Pantheon’. A clever lighting trick is played out on 21 April, the founding date of Rome. At midday the sunlight hits the metal grille above the door, filling the entranceway with light. This would have illuminated the emperor in ancient times, reflecting his perceived status as a god on earth. Another beautiful effect takes place at Pentecost when rose petals are sprinkled through the oculus after the annual mass. In the early 1600s, a modification by Pope Urban VIII (which is often misattributed to Bernini) saw two bell towers added to the sides of the façade. These were much derided by the Romans who nicknamed them ‘the ass’s ears’ until they were finally removed in the late 19th century.
So, if one were to visit the Pantheon with the intent to experience such moment, visiting on the 21st of April would be enough?
@@HeathBlythe yes, for the light thru the Occulus, if it's a clear day and not overcast. I'm not sure if they still do the Rose Petals on Pentacost, you'd have to check. That sounds amazing too.
Also the step "rings" above the dome are quite fascinating, but rarely mentioned. Their role is simply to add dead load to the dome and thus counter its hoop stress, which naturally tends to push the dome outwards and thus break it. Similar configurations can be seen in other roman domes as well.
How about the calender changes? Is it still 21 april after the change from Julian to Gregorian?
Gracias.
When I visited it with my school, I almost got lost because I was so mesmerized by this artwork. To make it better, there was a incredible professional choir singing in there, showing the great acoustics of it as well. Maybe my favorite site of all Rome. Thank you for letting me revisit it.
When i saw this building i started crying. The beauty of this ancient building still bring used today was overwhelming, knowing the history of Rome
no building has ever captured my unwavering attention like the pantheon. I stayed over an hour, examining things, wondering, and ultimately feeling my own infinite smallness under the weight of time. The marble floor of squares and circles brought to mind the millions and millions of lives i will never know, whose feet have walked upon it, and yet its dignity and its vibrance unaffected. i thought of the centries of rain that has fallen through the occulus. then i thought of how for centuries in the middle ages, people looked up at the dome with no idea how it was made, and how they must have felt that the people who preceded them were more advanced than they, and how demoralizing that must have been. i passed through the building in an hour, which felt like a lifetime, but was but a flicker of time unnoticed by the gods it serves to enshrine.
I just love the Pantheon in Rome, just being inside fills me with something and I feel both calm and overwhelmed at the same time. It's old but still alive. I simply love it.
I've been to Rome several times and I always have to go to the Pantheon. I never get tired of just standing there and soaking in nearly 2000 years of history.
“Marble from the Apuan Alps above the city of Carrara has been quarried since ancient Roman times, used originally for buildings, columns, benches, and stairways as well as ornamentation purposes such as tombstones, monuments, and sculptures. Carrara marble is featured in Rome’s Pantheon and Michelangelo’s David and La Pieta sculptures.”
and the unfinished slaves in the Academia, and moses in Saint Peter in Chains plus the victory statue in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. the finished slaves in Louvre are also Carrara marble.
The myth is that the builders filled the building with sand to support the building of the dome. During the filling, the myth says that gold coins were tossed in to the sand and when building was finished, they invited people to dig out the sand and keep the coins they found! Great story!
What? They invited people to dig into the building?
@@notleoso MYTH
@@notleoso Yeah, that way the sand would have been removed in the process!
@@Devantejah as many Italian stories it is simply untrue. But, as the Italians say: Se non é vero, è ben trovato. ( even when it is not true, it is well found)
Untrue. As are many Italian stories, they are constructed. The idea of sand and coins has been suggested. Not for the pantheon, but for the Dome of the Santa Maria del Fiori in Florence. But it has remained a suggestion. Brunelleschi found other solutions to build his Dome.
Oh, what I would give just to travel back in time and experience this building fully maintained and ornamented!
The many ideas of architecture, notably 'de Architectura', from the Roman Empire truly stood the test of time.
It makes you wonder what they could have accomplished, if they knew how to utilize steam engines.
Every modern architect owes respect of those classical ideas to their profession.
I actually visited the Pantheon on my one visit to Rome, years and years ago. It was marvelous, but I didn't stay as long as I should have, and I didn't appreciate what I was seeing as much as I should have (my whole trip to Rome was like that). I must go back some day and spend the time I need to.
Same here! My first trip to Europe, summer of '85...too young to fully understand and appreciate.
I know exactly how you feel. I hope some day to return, this time alone, so that i may properly marvel at, and enjoy the the expanse, wonder and history of this beautiful building.
Thank you! Touching those doors brought tears to my eyes and relief in my heart.
You're very welcome!
It's completely amazing to appreciate what has survived, often incorporated into other buildings. I was awestruck to appreciate columns from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus incorporated into Hagia Sophia.
I have visited the Pantheon several times, it never ceases to take my breath away. It was once, clearly, the most high tech building in the world.
leaving a comment because good content deserves some help
Visiting this temple and spending time on it is a very special experience. You are transported to Ancient Rome.
This brought back some great memories of my first trip to Europe, we finished a 5 week holiday with four nights in Rome, spending our last night (before the very long flight back to Australia) visiting the Pantheon and having dinner in the square (the restaurant to the left of the Pantheon when facing it) We dined outside and were very luck as it was a perfect balmy evening in late October, the tourist season was winding down so the crowds were not to bad. I still remember the looks of wonder on my wife and childrens faces as we ate with this magnificent scene in front of us. It was truly magical.
This one is told in concrete! I recently stumbled on your videos and have been watching them over the past few days. Keep up the good work!
Glad you're enjoying the videos!
Yeah same
It’s my favorite building I’ve been to. It didn’t lose any of its magic the second time round after a near 20 year gap either, in fact it allowed me to appreciate it in more depth.
I am so grateful this building exists, its as close as you can humanly be to travelling back in time. You are standing in a literal roman temple you have no idea how precious this is
When I was there and looked up at the oculus, I couldn't imagine that it was over 8 m wide. I would have expected no more than 4 m, more like 3 m. This shows that my imagination could not grasp the sheer dimension of this magnificent building.
It is an absolutely surreal and majestic ancient place. Beautiful and haunting feat of engineering. Grateful to have seen it in my lifetime.
Thank you to our host. Doctor, learned a lot
I'm very glad to hear it!
I love Rome so so much.
I was there in 2018 and would go back in a heartbeat...
by the way, Gelataria David in Sorrento is the best. worth the time & effort to seek it out.
cheers from Australia
My favorite ancient building always seemed like it had more than met the eye
Thanks for starting by approaching from the alleyway instead of from the front. The load spreading arches inside the brickwork blew my mind and I'm glad that you brought attention to those in your video.
Watching your videos about these magnificent buildings took me to the antiquity in the train of imagination. Thank you
I’ve seen this building 3 times. It doesn’t get old.
Great video! The more I have been learning about ancient Rome, the sadder I get hearing all the stories about how the renaissance period actually stripped so many ancient buildings of their materials.
I wish I had seen your videos before we went to Rome. Now I want to go back and see all these places again with a new understanding.
Thanks for doing this. I visited this more than 50 years ago, yet it’s impression lingers.
You're very welcome
Lucky enough to see this in person a few years ago, most beautiful building I’ve ever seen.
Thank you for presenting these well made and interesting videos.
I am from Tennessee and went to Rome on a trip. They have mass there on Wednesday nights and my grandpa led us all in there while so many others waited to see it. We walked in and joined the 45 minutes catholic mass in complete LATIN then when it was over just walked around the inside and looked at all of the exhibits it was amazing
Nice detail is the curved floor (high under the oculus and low at the surrounding wall) to direct rainwater throught the oculus to the outside of the floor where the water is drained. If you walk from the entrance to the centre you can feel the inclination in the floor.
King Victor Emanuel the last King of Italy 🇮🇹 is buried in the Pantheon. I spent a long time next to his sarcophagus peacefully paying my respects to His Majesty. I silently recalled all the stories my Italian grandmother told me about him and The Duke of the Abruzzi. There was only one person in the Pantheon besides myself. This was the early 1970s and there weren’t hordes of people invading these private historical places.
Sadly, I've only sat outside on the steps of the Pantheon. The day that we saw it in April, 1982, it was closed due to a strike. I'd love to go back someday and actually see the inside!
that internal dome pattern is like a psilocybin trip visual materialized in stone
Makes me wish I could go back and live in Ancient Rome for a day.
Imho.this is best video about the Pantheon on UA-cam
I've been inside the building a few times and each and every time is more amazing than the last. True wonder of the world everyone must see!!
I continue enjoying your very informative videos about Greek, Roman and “more recent” antiquity of the Mediterranean region. (I’m not sure how historians might formally categorize these overlapping topics ... ?). I remain particularly fascinated by the Pantheon, realizing how it’s endured for nearly 2000 years. It seems to me a true privilege to still have with us such a grand, and nearly intact, example of Roman architecture and construction. The designers and builders seem sophisticated, even now, in their ingenuous solutions to formidable engineering problems. Especially considering the humble materials with which they worked. (Though, clearly, we can still learn something about building in concrete from them!)
Glad you're enjoying the videos! And yes, even from the perspective of the 21st century, and from a world continually transformed by technological wonders, the achievement of the Pantheon is astonishing.
Very nice to see a vid on the irreplaceable gem that is Rome's Pantheon. Recommend having visited it in winter, when there are much smaller crowds, prefarably early in the morning!
Thank you very much for focusing on the earlier elements of the structure, I didn't know half of this beforehand, including such details as the brass eagle & original rafters! It isn't hard to imagine what a reverence the place must have installed in visitors of the time.
An awesome tribute to the hidden symmetries of life!
I was amazed by this building on my visit to Rome. I spent several hours there.
Just got back from Rome and it was magnificent! I truly enjoyed everything about Rome. Thanks for sharing…
I love the Pantheon! It’s my favorite Roman building
I got rained on in the Pantheon June 9, 2022! Amazing place and humbling experience. We came around the corner of a narrow street and there it was dominating the piazza.
It is a magnificent and awe inspiring structure.
What amazed me about Rome was how they had ruins everywhere, and most of it was just there without much protection - you could reach out and touch so many ancient columns.
Please do a video on the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, especially focusing on the temple that was re-built by the Ephesusans, after the arson in 356 BC.
I'm thinking about a "Seven Wonders" series. Stay tuned...
I vivaciously enjoy these videos!!!!
Beautiful Pantheon
Thank you for making this ( oh-so-very fascinating) information available.
Your channel never fails.
I was there this last Tuesday and I'm always in awe when visiting.
It really is an amazing building, and so perfectly preserved
As a Brazilian in hell your videos are a drop of water
Glad to hear it!
❤️❤️❤️xxx🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Brazilian here too, I understand your pain man...
I know it probably doesn't matter but I'm sending you guys love and peace.
Be confident, my friend. We’re all stronger than anything they may throw at us. We will prevail.
Well done Professor!
That was excellent! Thank you for making this.
Brilliant work. Thank you for a wonderful review of my most favorite building, visited in 2018, 2019 and scheduled to visit in 2020….
I went there early this December 2021. I paid for a guided tour. I was the only person who signed up, therefore I got a private one on one tour of the Pantheon, just me and tour guide. The whole time I was inside the Pantheon, there were no more than 50 tourists. It was amazing. The tour guide told me that from late November to early December is the best time to visit Rome. That is when there are the least amount of tourists. Couple that fact with the pandemic, and I visited Rome at the perfect time it seems.
Excellent work. You answer many questions I've had for years.
I really enjoy all your videos. Thank you for your time and dedication.
love your narration and insight. i think the pantheon has a most elegant atmosphere. great place for musical services with the old latin mass and beautiful songs and chants. those were the good days of the old church.
I'm very glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you for this wonderfully informative tour!!
Watching videos gearing up for a return trip to Rome in a couple of months. Great informative video which helps keep the pantheon alive and heightens my already sky high excitement. Thank you.
Thanks to a friend, I learned of the Pantheon before going to Rome in July, 1974. When there, I was so impressed by its beauty and age...
You marvellously evoke what it must have been like especially from the outside; and the stunning impact when the interior defied expectation and mirrored the crystalline domes of the universe with the stars pinpricks through which the fires of the void could be glimpsed. Hadrian really was astonishing.
You answered my one question in towards the end concerning rain and the oculus.
Amazing building
Very much enjoyed! Looking forward to more such videos. Well done
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best presentation on the history of the Pantheon I have seen, nice work!
Thank you!
Interesting documentary. I have begun to read the author's book today and it has been an equally pleasant experience. Good for a lover of ancient culture!
You are too brilliant and entertaining in a subtle way. Thanks
You're very welcome!
Totally enjoyed this video, especially as I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful place on a few occasions.
Very glad to hear it!
I was there twice, and I'm still impress by all the information given here
I was there in 2019. Such a magical place, I kept going back and sitting in one of the pews and just meditating taking it’s splendor in. You can almost feel the spirits from the past.
Beautifully done. Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome
I hope to go to Italy next year and this is at the top of my list to see! Thanks for sharing this insightful information, it was very helpful.
Love your videos, great content!
Enjoyed the tour.
Rome is truly the eternal city. It's been conquered,burned,flooded, shuddered, plundered, shot at bombed ,etc,etc for centuries,
yet it still stands.
Millennia
Great videos as usual !
That place was beautiful
what a wonderful video!
thanks, this is absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every moment.
I'm delighted to hear it!
Thanks. This is a remarkable building. Was there a few years ago and hope to be there again this year.
Well done! 👏
Thank you
Thank you. I visited in 1989. Fascinating.
Didn't know I'd get to visit the Pantheon for 15 minutes today. Wow thank you!