How to visit the Pantheon in Rome? A Quick guide to visit the Pantheon in Rome this summertime.
Pantheon historical
Among the ancient classic buildings, the Pantheon is certainly the best preserved one. The Pantheon, a temple dedicated to all the gods, was founded between the 25 and the 27 BC. by Marco Vipsanio Agrippa, son-in-law of Divus Augustus . Damaged in 80 and 110 AD, it was restored by Hadrian between 118 and 125. Donated by the Byzantine emperor Phocas to Pope Boniface IV, it was consecrated in 609, with the name of Basilica of S. Maria ad Martyres.
The pronaos is supported by sixteen Corinthian columns of gray and pink granite. The three columns on the left side were replaced in the 17th century. by the will of popes Urban VIII and Alexander VII, using uncovered material. The door, 7.53 m high and about 4.90 m wide, has two bronze doors weighing 7 tons each. Nothing remains of the original bronze decoration of the pediment.
The interior consists of a circular hall of 43.30 m in diameter and as many in height. The wall is marked by seven alternately rectangular and semicircular chapels, interspersed with eight aedicules. The attic has a motif of windows and panes made by Paolo Posi in 1757. The coffered dome ends in a circular opening of about 9 m in diameter. The ray of light that enters through the dome is projected at noon on the axis of the door, making the Pantheon an astronomical clock. The rainwater that enters from the oculus of the dome is drained through 22 holes located in the center of the floor.
How to visit the Pantheon: how to purchase tickets
The tickets – available at €5 (full price) or €3 (discount) – can be purchased online via the Musei Italiani website www.museiitaliani.it (registration required).
Tickets can also be bought directly from the official ticket office at the Pantheon, with payment by credit card or debit card, from 09.00 to 18.00.
Reservations are required to visit on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and bookings can be made up to one week before the selected visiting date. Access to the monument is subject to change in accordance with religious celebrations.
Visits are organised in one-hour slots for a maximum number of 1,000 people.
The Pantheon website also offers the option of booking guided tours and audio guides, ranging in price from €15 to €30.
How to visit the Pantheon: who can enter the Pantheon for free
Access to the Pantheon will remain free to Rome residents, visitors with disablities, and the under-18s, while EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay an entry fee of €3.
Entry is also free for those attending religious services, with the sale of tickets stopping one hour before the start of Mass which is celebrated at 17.00 from Monday to Saturday and at 10.00 on Sundays. The Pantheon is closed on 1 January and 25 December each year.
