Magnificent Pantheon Dome

The Pantheon is a remarkable building to see. Its spectacular design, elegance and harmony are a striking reminder of the genius of the Roman... more

by GabeZ Art

Title

Magnificent Pantheon Dome

Artist

GabeZ Art

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The Pantheon is a remarkable building to see. Its spectacular design, elegance and harmony are a striking reminder of the genius of the Roman Empire architects.

The breathtaking Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, Italy. It is one of the best-preserved and influential of all Ancient Roman buildings, as the building stands virtually intact.

It was a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome. In the year 609 The Pantheon was transformed into a church dedicated to St. Mary of the Martyrs.
When Michelangelo saw this wonder for the first time he said that it looks more like the work of angels, not humans.

The most fascinating part of the Pantheon is its gigantic coffered dome, with its famous central opening to the sky (oculus). The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 ft (43.3 metres).

Almost two thousand years after it was built, the magnificent dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

There are no windows inside but the large oculus, the celestial source of light for the whole building. As the earth turns, the light flows in to circle the interior.

The oculus was never covered and rain falls into the interior and runs off the slightly convex floor to the still functioning Roman drainpipes underneath.

Uploaded

October 15th, 2016