In and Around the Pantheon

Something about the way the massive round structure marries with the front of the square, angled portico.

Last week we paid special attention to the portico.  Mainly for the welcome shade it provided, but also for the stunning perspective of both the space and the Piazza della Rotunda, on which the Pantheon sits.

Even the details like the ornate marble plaques engraved in Latin, make me realize how very old the Pantheon, and Rome for that matter, really is.

And then there are the massive bronze doors.

And all the marble on the inside.

Delicious and intricate from floor to ceiling.

Cracks in the marble makes you wonder how long it has been that way.  Is the earth shifting?

Even the fountain in front on the square is a photo-op all its own (more to come on the fountain).

But, perhaps my most favorite, and certainly unique thing about the Pantheon is the oculus.

The giant gaping hole in the top of the roof that lets snow, rain or beams of sunshine gush right onto the marble floor below.