Rome

Pantheon is one of the most significant and best-preserved monuments of Ancient Rome also known as The temple of all Gods, it is unclear exactly who was actually worshipped here but the structure has been an enduring source of inspiration to famous architects and artists during the Renaissance. In any case, there's no mistaking here - there's more to this than meets the eye!

The date of its construction is still unknown as there had been two Pantheon structures previously built during Ancient Rome with the first being destroyed in a huge fire in the year 80 AD. Domitian, a Roman emperor rebuilt it which was burnt again in 110 AD. However, Pantheon as it stands today was completed circa 125 A.D.

While appearances can be deceiving, the most fascinating part of this exquisite architecture is that it has the single largest unreinforced concrete dome in the entire world without any rebar whatsoever. It stands at 43.3 meters tall without any windows except for the large 7.8 meter hole in the middle of the dome known as the oculus and it is the only source of light into the building which was intended to be the connection between the temple and the gods above.

The portico is called Piazza della Rotonda and it has 16 monolithic columns which were transported all the way from Egypt, dragged for over 100 kilometers through the mountainous deserts to the Nile river on wooden sledges then transferred on to vessels beginning its journey through the Mediterranean Sea to Porto di Ostia, then up the Tiber River into Ancient Rome weighing at 54,431 kilograms per column and 12 meters in height. These granite pillars maintain the gabled roof with its triangular pediment inscribed M•AGRIPPA•L•F•COS•TERTIUM•FECIT meaning Built by Marcos Agrippa during the third consulate.

Numerous works have characterised the successful factors as the backbone to the success in the construction of this Ancient monument. Whilst there may have been limited quantity of knowledge about construction in Ancient masonry as opposed to todays technology, the development of excellent quality mortar and the addition of aggregate materials were prudently selected ranging from heavy basalt, granite and diorite from Egyptian quarries which were then employed in the foundation of Pantheon during development.

After Pantheon was transformed into a Catholic church it became the burial site for some famous Renaissance figures such as the artist Raphael, architect Baldassare Peruzzi and composer Arcangelo Corelli.