Early morning at the Pantheon

I am sent early to get in line before the crowds descend on the Pantheon. No more than a dozen people are ahead of me. While I look for my family, I cannot help but admire the Pantheon. This monument has seen so much history.

The Pantheon, initially built in 27 B.C. and rebuilt around 120 A.D., was dedicated to all the Roman gods. It is built on a circular foundation and mostly made up of bricks with a concrete shell as a surface creating 20 feet thick walls.

I cannot see the dome from where I stand. But I can see columns. There are sixteen of them. Each one is 40 feet tall and weighs 55 tons. They support a triangle pediment and guard the entrance of the Pantheon. Those single-piece columns were shipped from Egypt, sailed across the Mediterranean, carried on land, and lifted into place without modern day technology.

My family finally joins me a few minutes before the Pantheon opens. The 23 feet tall bronze doors open. The line moves forward.

As we walk in, I immediately look up and see the oculus at the centre of the dome. The 27 feet wide opening is the only source of natural light in the Pantheon. The oculus lets the sun light in, and also rain. Those clever Romans made holes in the marble floor to direct the rainwater into a sewer system.

I keep looking up. The concrete dome is as high as it is wide: 142 feet from floor to rooftop and from side to side. Perfect symmetry. The walls of the dome, 20 feet thick at the base, get thinner as they rise to the top. They are less than 5 feet thick at the top and, therefore, lighter. At this point of the structure weight is crucial. Square indentations cover the surface of the dome to further reduce weight without compromising strength.

There are historic statues, tombs, busts, frescoes, and mosaics throughout the Pantheon. But it’s the structure I find most fascinating. I can only imagine how my father-in-law, an architect, would have appreciated the architectural wonder of the Pantheon. He certainly had a smile on his face when he visited.