Pantheon Rome

The Pantheon: Rome’s Most Underrated Building

The Colosseum gets the queues. The Trevi Fountain gets the coins. The Pantheon gets overlooked by visitors who walk past it to photograph the fountain in Piazza della Rotonda and only step inside because it is there and free. This is backwards. The Pantheon is the most technically extraordinary building in Rome and arguably in the world, and it was completed in around 125 CE.

What you are looking at

The dome is 43.3 metres in diameter. At the time of its construction, it was the largest concrete dome ever built, and it remained so for over 1,300 years until Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence. The height from the floor to the top of the oculus is also 43.3 metres - the interior could contain a perfect sphere. The oculus at the top is 8.2 metres wide and is the building’s only light source. When it rains, the rain comes in; the floor drains carry it away.

The dome is built from poured concrete (using an aggregate that decreases in density as you go higher, reducing weight), without steel reinforcement, and it has not been significantly repaired in 1,900 years. Modern engineers remain uncertain exactly how this was achieved and why it has held.

Visiting in 2024

Entry changed from free to paid in 2023: EUR 5 for standard entry. The change reduced crowds somewhat. Timed slots are available and worth booking online to avoid waits at peak times (July-August from 10:00-14:00 is the worst window). The building is still an active Catholic church, which means masses on Sundays when tourists are restricted or excluded during services.

Go early: the light through the oculus tracks across the interior as the sun moves, and the morning beam falling on the entrance is particularly striking. The Pantheon opens at 09:00.

The neighbourhood

Piazza della Rotonda directly outside is surrounded by overpriced restaurants and gelato shops. Skip all of them. Walk four minutes west to Gelateria Giolitti on Via degli Uffici del Vicario, which has been making gelato since 1900 and is widely considered the best in the historic centre. Walk ten minutes north to Sant’Eustachio il Caffe on Piazza Sant’Eustachio for what is consistently ranked as the finest espresso in Rome - the beans are roasted on-site, the technique is specific to the shop, and it costs EUR 2 for an espresso drunk standing at the bar. Sitting outside costs more and is not the point.

For lunch, the Trastevere neighbourhood (20 minutes on foot south across the Tiber) has better trattorie at lower prices than anywhere near the Pantheon. Da Enzo al 29 on Via dei Vascellari does cacio e pepe and tonnarelli alla carbonara for around EUR 14-18 per plate.

Sleeping nearby

The historic centre is expensive. Hotel Portoghesi on Via dei Portoghesi is a three-star option in a genuinely lovely building a five-minute walk from the Pantheon, with rooms from around EUR 120-180 per night. The roof terrace has an unexpected view of the surrounding domes and spires. For budget accommodation, the Trastevere neighbourhood has better value and easy access by foot.

One more thing

Raphael is buried inside the Pantheon. So is King Vittorio Emanuele II. The tombs are unobtrusive and easily missed. Look left and right of the main nave.