Pantheon

Friday morning, November 15^th, we were to catch our ship from Civitavecchia, the port city for Rome.  Still disoriented, I had no idea what time it really was…only that the sun was shining and Steve was standing, fully dressed and holding coffee, by the side of the bed quietly calling my name.  (Have I mentioned that this is the sweetest man on earth?) 

 

Our driver was coming at 11:30 and we had a precious couple of hours to see the Pantheon.  He was going, with or without me.  But he had also bought me a couple of pastries to sweeten the deal.  I was up and showered in no time and we set out on a bright fall morning.

 

The streets were bustling – it was a work day for people after all.  Have I mentioned how completely thin and chic most Italians are?  And they do have the most gorgeous shoes and boots.  We dodged scooters and walked as quickly as we could for the couple of miles or so.

 

I was in my mid-twenties the first time I came up from a subway in New York City and caught my breath in amazement and excitement.  I haven’t had that sensation since, until that morning.  We came out of one of the narrow alley streets and there it stood – a magnificent antiquity in the clearing of a busy neighborhood.

 

Before this trip, Steve and I had no idea of the difference between the Pantheon, Parthenon or Acropolis.  We had studied them in school; and we had studied some (via YouTube) before we left.  I will never again forget the difference.

 

The Pantheon was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.  It is one of the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs.”   The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda.

 

It is said that if you plan to visit antiquities, the Pantheon is what you should see first because it is the best preserved.  The great dome has a hole in the center and the center of the floor has holes for a drain.  The area is roped off so that when it rains the water can run out.  The dome would collapse without the hole.

 

The columns are enormous and beautiful.  They are in the Corinthian style (the most ornate).  As we walked into the building, we were amazed by the art and sculpture.  I felt the need to pray and the conflict of standing in a building that was built for gods and now used as a center for worship of the one true God.  I sat down on one of the pews and tried to absorb the history I was seeing.  It was the first of many instances of my own inadequacy to fully “feel” what I was experiencing.