It's hard to choose what the most impressive building in Roma is, but there is no doubt that the Pantheon w0uld be on the short list of favorites. Nestled in the center of Rome, accessible by numerous tiny streets is this architectural wonder, built over 2000 years ago!
How exactly were they able to pull off such a feat? No one knows. The monolithic columns in the front of local Travertine stone are so impressive. (Monolithic means they are one piece.) The bricks around the building were stamped by the company that made them, even with the date the bricks were made, showing how advanced the Romans were, even as merchants.
The doors are supposed to be the originals in bronze and are enormous, however the ceiling in the entrance is gone.
Inside, the hole in the top pulls your attention up, up, up to the sunlight that streams through. And yes it does rain in, however there is a minimal amount of rain that comes through that hole and one inside it falls straight down into the center of the building where there are 22 of these holes for drainage.
The Pantheon was once a temple and then became a church. It now is the resting place of King Victor Emanuel, King of Italy and some other dignitaries.
And, for those of you who followed the Angels & Demons trail - this is where they thought the first altar of the Illuminati was before heading over the Piazza del Popolo....
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