Pantheon ~ Piazza della Rotonda ~ Rome, Italy

It was lunchtime on a hot Roman day and we were looking for a place to enjoy a lunch.  The square in front of the Pantheon has several cafés around the perimeter of it and we chose the one right on the corner so we could get a front row seat to look at this magnificent historical engineering feat. 

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

We’d gone inside the Pantheon the night before when it was getting dark so we needed to come back to get the daylight photos and I was so glad we did.  It isn’t a building that gives a flashy ‘wow’ factor but in a very quiet way, displays a protecting shield to an incredible treasure.  The familiar portico and 14 meter columns of the Pantheon exude history. 



Great front doors to the Pantheon in Rome

The Pantheon was built by Hadrian in 120AD and still has the original bronze doors of that day.  These incredible large doors are over 2000 years old!  Other bronze that was originally put inside was stripped away to make canons in the sixteenth century but that pilfering left no damage to the structure. 

The oculus of the Pantheon in Rome

Noontime during the summer solstice the sun would shine straight down through the nine meter opening of this oculus and reach the floor.  That would be an incredible sunbeam to see!  If you were to stand beneath and look up during a rainy time, you’d feel the raindrops.  It really is open, although I couldn’t test that so we have to believe.

The interior of the Pantheon, Rome, Italy

The size of the interior of the Pantheon is 43 meters in diameter and is a full circle.  The dome was made of concrete and was the largest existing dome for over 1000 years and is still the largest of a non-reinforced dome in the world.  The Pantheon was never destroyed throughout history, which is unusual for most structures from this era, it has most certainly stood the test of time.

Sculptures within the Pantheon in Rome

Once the Pantheon became a Roman Catholic Church in 609, the statues of the Roman gods were replaced with religious art and sculptures.  Many of them were done by the master artists of that day who have since been buried here.  Raphael was one of those and his tomb is displayed inside.

Statues over the pulpit in the Pantheon, Rome, Italy

The Pantheon is still used as a church and mass is celebrated there.  There are several chapels and many sat in chairs during our visit although there was no service being held. Special occasions and weddings are also held in the Pantheon, now that would be a very special place for a very special day.

Piazza della Rotonda in Rome, Italy

As on all of our days in Rome, we wandered until well after dark and enjoyed the lights of the piazzas and the fountains and the sculptures and the cafés and the people……ok, enough said, you know what I mean.  This was an amazing city!  Belissimo...  Ciao Roma !

To see some of the other sights on our visit to Rome, click here for more.

Pantheon ~ Grand Palais ~ Hotel des Invalides ~ Palais de Chaillot ~ Paris, France

We have found, even on our RV travels that when we visit a new city, a tour bus can be the best way to learn our way around and hear a lot of the history.   We usually stay on for all of the bus tour to see and then decide where we are going back to.  It is nice to have the tour guide information, whether it is with a guide or the prerecorded audio system that many of them are using now.

Views from the tour bus in Paris, France

As with many of the English and European cities, the tour buses are often double deckers with an open top. That would mean you would really appreciate good weather but no matter what, the view is better from up there and so photo's are easier taken from there, too. We were able to purchase a ticket to use anytime within 24 hours, and with that we had a choice of several routes in Paris.

Palais de Chaillot at Trocadero Square

Most bus tours allow you to get on and off whenever you wish and that gives you the option to spend more time at any one particular place.  We began our tour of Paris from the stop at Tracadero behind the Palais de Chaillot which houses a number of museums.  Most of the names on the buildings are in French so we did have some difficulty deciding what was inside but we do understand that the Maritime Museum and the Museum of Architecture, dedicated to monuments, is housed here.  The Paris Modern Art Museum is also nearby.

The Pantheon in Paris, France

The Pantheon was built in 1757 to replace a sixth century Basillica but due to financial problems, it took 34 years to complete.  It was later decided to transform it to a temple to bury the remains of great men of France and then became the Pantheon.  Then in 1806 it became a church again but in 1885 it became a civic building, as it is today.

Flower shops line the street beside the Pantheon

 Seeing these spectacular buildings in Paris, surrounded by the excitement of this city creates a very special experience. We were in our tour bus as we came upon the Pantheon and it was a very busy place with traffic in front, around and behind.  The streets of this city are not a simple grid so the bus tour makes our sightseeing much easier.   

Hotel des Invalides, Paris, France

This was originally meant to be barracks only but King Louis XIV hired an architect to build a huge complex with royal courtyards including one of honor for military parades and a church.  The complex was completed in 1676 and could house up to 4,000 war veterans in the barracks.  There are several museums housed in the complex.

Dome des Invalides in Paris, France

The Dome des Invalides is a beautiful church connected to the Royal chapel and used for royals only. It took 27 years to complete the 107 M (351') dome, finished in 1708. This was where royalty was meant to be buried but that changed after King Louis XIV died.  Nineteen years after he had died, Napoleon Bonaparte's body (1769-1821) was relocated and entombed here. Napoleon was the Emporer (1806-1814), making him the military and political leader for the last years of the French Revolution.

The War Museum at Hotel des Invalides

The War Museum opened in 1905 and today is one of the largest military museums in the world.  The displays include weapons from many different time periods so offer a great variety for anyone interested in this kind of history.  The museum also features military items from India, Japan, Turkey and China.

Grand Palais, Paris, France

This very large complex was built for the Universal Exhibition, also known as the World Fair, in 1900 with the biggest glass roof in all of Europe and is now considered an historic monument.  The World Fair, held in many European capitals over the years, offered all nations to showcase business, industry and fine arts.

Grand Palais, the glory of French Art.

There are several museums and galleries as well as being host to many Chanel fashion shows and theater every year.  The statues that are seen were designed by 40 contemporary artists at the time of construction.  The mission of the Grand Palais is inscribed on the building: "This monument has been dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French Art".

We enjoyed our bus tour of the city and planned to see much more during our stay in Paris, France in September. We've only just begun to see all the wonderful sights the city of Paris offers.