Originally built in 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus, it was damaged by fired in 80 A.D. and restored by Domitian (Emperor from 81-96). It was damaged again during the reign of Trajan (98-117) and rebuilt by Hadrian (117-138), and this is essentially the structure we see today.
It was, of course, a pagan temple under the Romans, until it was closed in 391 by Emperor Theodosius the Great (379-395). (Theodosius was the last emperor of a unified Rome before it split east and west.) Emperor Phocas (602-610) gave it to Pope Boniface IV (608-615) in 609 who converted it into a church. Phocas was influential in advocating for the primacy of the Bishop of Rome when Constantinople was challenging this idea.
Boniface had twenty-eight cartloads of martyrs bones brought here from various cemeteries around Rome and dedicated the new church to Saint Mary and the Martyrs.
The structure is 142 feet high and 142 feet in diameter. The dome is open on the top, with a 30 foot diameter hole, which is the sole source of natural light.
This site has an interesting write-up about the structure and various theories surrounding how, why, and who.
The Pantheon is a state property today, but it is used as a church for Masses on Sundays and Holy Days.
This was not my favorite church in Rome. It was really hard to grasp visually from inside and it felt more like a monument than a church. Raphael (the artist), his fiancé, two Italian kings, and one queen are buried here. Sure, it’s the Pantheon, and architects have been copying it and using it as inspiration for two millennia, but if I ever go back to Rome, I don’t think I will revisit this one. It was a little too touristy.
Grace & peace,
Chris