Free entrance to the Pantheon Rome with your Rome City Pass

Visit the square in front of the Pantheon

The view from the outside of the Pantheon Rome

Highlights

Discover Rome? Simply get your City Pass and go
The entrance ticket for the Pantheon is included in your Rome City Pass
No reservation is required for this attraction - you will receive your ticket at the pick-up point

‘Pan Theos’: The Pantheon, whose name is derived from the Greek words ‘pan’ (all) and ‘theos’ (god), was built on the orders of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD.
The dome: A highlight of the Pantheon is undoubtedly its huge dome, which for more than 1700 years was considered the largest dome in the world in terms of its internal diameter. The dome has an impressive diameter of 43 metres and symbolises the technical mastery of the Romans in ancient times.
Opaion: The sunlight streams through the opaion, the round opening at the top of the dome, and casts a fascinating beam of light onto the floor of the interior, contributing to a magical experience.
Santa Maria ad Martyres: Today the Pantheon is known as Santa Maria ad Martyres and houses important religious relics.

The Pantheon through the ages

What awaits you on site

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The fascinating construction of the current building dates back to the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who had it rebuilt as a temple in the second century AD. During the reign of Emperor Honorius, its use as a temple was permanently discontinued until the Middle Ages. It was consecrated as a Christian church in the sixth century. The official name of the Roman Catholic church is Santa Maria ad Martyres. The dome is an architectural masterpiece and delights both locals and tourists alike. The only source of light is the nine metre round hole at the highest point of the dome. The sunshine creates an unforgettable atmosphere.

M-AGRIPPA-L-F-COS-TERTIVM-FECIT

This can be translated as ‘Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, made this.’ This inscription refers to the original construction of the Pantheon commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during his third term as consul in 27 BC. Note that Agrippa's original construction was a different building and not the current Pantheon. However, the current Pantheon as we know it today was built in the years 118-128 AD under Emperor Hadrian. Above the original inscription by Agrippa is another inscription:

‘IMP-CAES-DIVI-TRAIANI-PARTHICI-F-DIVI-NER-NERVAE-NEP-DIVI-TRAJ-F-DIVI-NER-NER-F-HADRIANVS-AVG-PONTIF-MAX-TRIB-POT-COS-III-P-P’

This inscription names the Roman Emperor Hadrian and lists his titles and offices. The translation reads something like: ‘The Emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian, son of the deified Trajan, grandson of the deified Nerva, Pontifex Maximus, holder of tribune power, triple consul, father of the fatherland.’ These inscriptions thus provide information about the history of the construction of the Pantheon and the imperial authority at the time of Hadrian.