The oculus, nineteen centuries on. Wilfredor · CC0
The Pantheon
A 1,900-year-old concrete dome with a hole in the top, still the largest of its kind.
Completed under Hadrian around 126 AD, the Pantheon's dome remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built. It has an eight-metre opening at the top — the oculus — which is the building's only light source and is genuinely open to the sky. When it rains, it rains inside, and the floor is engineered to drain.
Go when it opens, or late in the day. The square outside is chaos by mid-morning, and the interior is a room whose whole effect depends on the light and on not being shoulder to shoulder. Entry is now ticketed; check the current arrangement before you turn up.
Before you go
- Best time
- First thing at opening, or the last hour
- Tickets
- Now a ticketed entry — check the official site before arriving
- When it rains
- Worth seeing in the rain. The oculus is open and the floor drains
Official site — for hours and any booking requirement.
Published · updated · details checked
Researched from published sources rather than a personal visit. Check before you go.
Where it is
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