In a city bursting at the seams with ancient wonders, few landmarks manage to stop visitors dead in their tracks quite like The Pantheon. It’s bold, it’s beautiful, it’s got a hole in the ceiling, and it’s been standing for nearly 2,000 years without a single architect saying, “Oops.”
From pagan gods to Christian saints, Renaissance kings to coffee-sipping tourists, The Pantheon has seen it all. And unlike many of its crumbling cousins, it’s still intact; roof, columns, and dome all included. So how did this ancient diva of architecture earn such legendary status?
Let’s step inside.
Not Just Another Roman Ruin
First, a bit of a twist: the current Pantheon isn’t the original. It’s actually version 3.0.
The first Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa around 27 BC, under the rule of Augustus. That one burned down.
The second version went up around 80 AD and, true to Roman luck, it caught fire too.
Then came Hadrian, Rome’s traveling philosopher-emperor. Around 118–125 AD, he built the version we know and love today — tougher, bolder, and apparently fireproof.
Curiously, Hadrian kept the original inscription on the front: “M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT”, meaning “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, made this building when consul for the third time.” Classic Hadrian, letting Agrippa take the credit while dropping the architectural mic from the background.