# Pantheon, Rome

> The Pantheon is a 2nd-century Roman temple whose concrete dome, 43.3 m across, is still the largest unreinforced one in the world, lit only by an open oculus. A church since 609, it holds Raphael's tomb. Entry is about €5 and takes 30–40 minutes; it opens daily 9:00–19:00, and booking a timed slot saves queuing.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 82/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 30 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: ≈ €5, free under 18; some sources report €7 from July 2026
- Opening hours: Daily 9:00–19:00, last entry 18:30
- Closed: 25 December and 1 January; tourist entry pauses during Mass
- Free: First Sunday of the month; worshippers attending Mass
- Time needed: 30–40 minutes
- Location: Piazza della Rotonda, 10 minutes' walk from Trevi and Piazza Navona
- Coordinates: 41.89861, 12.47694
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **c. AD 113–125** — the current building, under Hadrian, replacing Agrippa's burnt temple (source: English Wikipedia)
- **43.3 m** — dome diameter — equal to the height from floor to oculus (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Record** — the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome (source: English Wikipedia)
- **≈ 8.2 m** — width of the oculus, the only source of light (source: English Wikipedia)
- **609** — Pope Boniface IV consecrated it as Santa Maria ad Martyres (source: English Wikipedia)
- **16 columns** — of Egyptian granite in the portico, each about 12 m tall (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Raphael** — is buried here, alongside two kings of Italy (source: English Wikipedia)
- **M·AGRIPPA** — the frieze reads 'Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this' (source: English Wikipedia)

## How old is the Pantheon?

The building you see dates from the reign of **Hadrian**, around **AD 113–125**. It replaced an earlier temple built by Marcus Agrippa, Augustus's right-hand man, which burned down — and Hadrian kept Agrippa's name on the front: **M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT**, 'Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this'. That inscription confused historians for centuries.

The Pantheon survived intact because in **609** Pope Boniface IV turned it into the church of **Santa Maria ad Martyres**. It's still a working church, with Sunday Mass and weddings, which is why its bronze doors and marble floor are largely original.

## The dome and the oculus

The **dome is 43.3 metres across** — the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built. Roman engineers lightened it towards the top by mixing pumice into the concrete and carving five rings of square coffers into the ceiling. The height from floor to crown is also 43.3 metres, so a perfect sphere would fit inside.

At the top is the **oculus**, an open circle about **8.2 metres** wide and the building's only window. On a sunny day a disc of light moves slowly across the walls like a sundial. When it rains, water falls straight in and drains through 22 small holes in the gently sloped floor. On Pentecost Sunday firefighters drop thousands of rose petals through the opening, a tradition revived in the 1990s.

## Who is buried in the Pantheon?

**Raphael** is buried in a niche to the left of the high altar, under the Madonna del Sasso statue, with a Latin epitaph by Cardinal Pietro Bembo. His fiancée Maria Bibbiena lies nearby. The first kings of united Italy are here too — **Victor Emmanuel II** on the right and **Umberto I** with Queen Margherita on the left — along with the architect Baldassare Peruzzi and the painter Annibale Carracci.

## Pantheon tickets and free entry

Since July 2023 the Pantheon has charged about **€5** for adults; **under-18s go free**. Several 2026 guides report a rise to €7 from 1 July 2026, so check the official site before you go. Tickets are sold online with a time slot and at the desk by the entrance; in summer the desk queue can take half an hour.

Entry is **free on the first Sunday of the month**, and worshippers can attend Mass without a ticket through a separate line — but you can't walk around or take photos during the service. An audio guide is available, though the essentials take half an hour without one.

> **Dress code** The Pantheon is a consecrated church: cover shoulders and knees, take off hats and keep your voice down. Photos are fine without flash, except during Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

## Pantheon opening hours

The Pantheon opens **every day from 9:00 to 19:00**, with last entry at **18:30**. It's closed on **25 December and 1 January**, and tourist entry pauses for an hour or so during weekend Masses. The ticket desk shuts before the doors do, so book ahead for an evening visit.

## What to look for inside

- **The portico** — 16 Egyptian granite columns, about 12 metres tall, and ancient bronze doors.
- **The oculus** — stand in the centre and look up; the patch of sunlight tells the time of day.
- **The coffered ceiling** — five rows of sunken squares that lighten the dome.
- **Raphael's tomb** — left of the altar, with Bembo's famous epitaph.
- **Royal tombs** — Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I on opposite sides of the rotunda.
- **The marble floor** — the original pattern of circles and squares, with drainage holes.
- **Piazza della Rotonda fountain** — topped by an Egyptian obelisk, the best spot for a façade photo.

## How to get to the Pantheon

1. Walk: 10 minutes from the Trevi Fountain, 5 minutes from Piazza Navona.
2. No metro stops at the Pantheon; Barberini on line A is a 15–20 minute walk.
3. Buses 40 and 64 or tram 8 to Largo di Torre Argentina, then 5 minutes north.
4. From the Colosseum it's about 2 km, 25 minutes via Piazza Venezia.

## Best time to visit

Come at **9:00** or in the last hour before closing for the thinnest crowds. Around midday the sunbeam is lowest and most dramatic, but that's also when tour groups arrive. A **rainy day** is surprisingly good: drops fall through the oculus into the middle of the hall while everyone stands around the edges.

The façade is floodlit in the evening and the cafés on the piazza stay busy late — the outside is free to see at any hour.

## Is the Pantheon worth visiting?

Absolutely. It's the only ancient Roman building you can see whole and step inside, and the ticket costs less than lunch. Half an hour is enough to stand under the oculus, find Raphael and study the coffers. Pair it with the [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain), [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona) and [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-sopra-minerva), all within a 10-minute walk.

## Before you go

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Book a timed ticket online
- [ ] Cover shoulders and knees
- [ ] Check whether Mass falls in your slot
- [ ] Pick early morning for space or midday for the light
- [ ] Combine with Trevi and Piazza Navona

## Ancient Rome: compare and choose

Ancient sites in Rome rated by YesGo.

- [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5
- [Colosseum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/colosseum) — YesGo score 73/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ≈ €18
- [Roman Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum
- [Circus Maximus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/circus-maximus) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Trajan's Column](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trajans-column) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free
- [Capitoline Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20
- [Arch of Constantine](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/arch-of-constantine) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free
- [Palatine Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palatine-hill) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum
- [Mausoleum of Augustus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/mausoleum-of-augustus) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · ≈ €5, booking
- [Largo di Torre Argentina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/largo-di-torre-argentina) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free from street; walkways ≈ €5
- [Pyramid of Cestius](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pyramid-of-cestius) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free outside
- [Appian Way](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/appian-way) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free
- [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26
- [Mouth of Truth](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/bocca-della-verita) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Donation ≈ €2
- [Baths of Caracalla](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-caracalla) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €8
- [Catacombs of Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €10–12 with guide
- [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €13–15
- [Theatre of Marcellus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/theatre-of-marcellus) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €25
- [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Basilica of San Clemente](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-clemente) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12
- [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15
- [Testaccio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/testaccio) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free
- [Palazzo Massimo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-massimo) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket
- [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–18
- [Hadrian's Villa](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/hadrians-villa) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–15

## Historic centre on foot

Trevi Fountain early before the crowds, then the Pantheon at opening and Piazza Navona with Bernini's Four Rivers fountain.

1. [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free; basin €2
2. [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5
3. [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free

## Don't mix it up

Rome's Pantheon isn't the Panthéon in Paris, an 18th-century church turned mausoleum. The Pantheon in Rome is also sometimes listed as Santa Maria Rotonda — same building.

## Tips

- Stand right under the oculus for the best view of the coffers.
- Midday gives the sharpest disc of sunlight on the wall.
- The façade is lit after dark and free to see.
- Worshippers enter Mass free, but no photos during the service.

## Questions

### How much does it cost to enter the Pantheon?

About €5, free under 18; some 2026 guides report €7 from 1 July 2026. Free on the first Sunday of the month.

### Do I need to book Pantheon tickets?

Not strictly, but a timed online ticket avoids the desk queue in busy months.

### What are the Pantheon's opening hours?

Daily 9:00–19:00, last entry 18:30; closed 25 December and 1 January.

### Why is there a hole in the Pantheon roof?

The oculus, about 8.2 m wide, is the only light source; rain drains through holes in the floor.

### Who is buried in the Pantheon?

Raphael, kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I, Queen Margherita, Annibale Carracci and Baldassare Peruzzi.

### How old is the Pantheon?

The current building dates from about AD 113–125, under Hadrian.

### How long do you need at the Pantheon?

30–40 minutes.

### Is the Pantheon still a church?

Yes — Santa Maria ad Martyres since 609, with regular Mass.

### What does the Pantheon inscription say?

'Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this' — a tribute to the original builder.

## How we checked

History, dome and oculus dimensions, inscription and burials from English Wikipedia. Price and hours checked against several 2026 guides, which disagree on €5 versus €7 from July 2026 — hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- Official Pantheon page (Italian Ministry of Culture, Musei Italiani)
- English Wikipedia, Pantheon, Rome
- 2026 visitor guides: Through Eternity, Romewise, Ciao Italia

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