Audio Guide to the Pantheon in Rome and Its Remarkable History, Architecture, and Art
Fourteen centuries after it was built, Michelangelo said that the Pantheon 'must have been designed by angels, not humans.
Indeed, the Pantheon is one of the most influential masterpieces of architecture ever, anywhere. Having witnessed and withstood 2,000 years of history, it is testimony to the brilliance and endurance of Western civilization.
With its traditional portico and pediment in front, and the massive dome soaring over a cylindrical sanctuary behind, the Pantheon is perhaps the most celebrated monument in the world. It is unique in its grandeur, the genius of its construction, and its state of preservation.
With Jane guiding you through the Pantheon, you will be immersed in the mystery, meaning and the eternal principles of this ancient monument. You will learn:
- What part Anthony and Cleopatra played in the history of the Pantheon
- Why for almost 1,900 years this `temple to all the gods was attributed to Agrippa (who died in 12 B.C.), when it was actually built by Emperor Hadrian, circa 127 A.D.
- How such a massive, un-reinforced, poured-concrete dome was built a feat never accomplished before or since and why there is a huge hole in the roof
- Why - while other buildings of the Roman Empire disintegrated into ruins - the Pantheon remained standing
- How and why the wall of the rotunda is so much higher outside than it is inside, and why we see windows on the exterior but none on the interior
- How the Pantheon expressed the religious and cultural beliefs of the Roman people, what it signified 2,000 years ago, and what it signifies now; and
- Why Raphael an artist was the first person to be buried in the Pantheon, and what archeologists found when his tomb was opened 300 years later.
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"As interesting and informative as this collection was, it also left me with an overwhelming feeling of sadness that so many of the myths (mentioned, but not included in this text for obvious reasons) exist only in a very fragmented form or have been lost altogether. So many figures were only mentioned once, so many stories alluded to in other myths but never told. Of the stories that have survived, many exist in more than one form with no way of to determine which is the original. These circumstances can make retellings of the myths difficult, but Crossley-Holland does an excellent job recounting these stories in a clear and concise manner while simultaneously acknowledging that some of them exist in other incarnations. He even includes summaries of alternate versions (where applicable) in his notes at the back of the book. I enjoyed the notes, for the historical and cultural context they provided, just as much as the myths themselves."
—
Kayleigh (4 out of 5 stars)