3. The
Pronaos
(Portico)
The portico consists of three rows of
eight columns, 14 m (46 feet) high of
Egyptian granite with Corinthian
capitals.
09/08/2012 3
4. Getting inside…
• The interior
volume is a
cylinder above
which springs the
half sphere of the
dome. A whole
sphere can be
inscribed in the
interior volume,
with the diameter
at the floor of the
cylinder of 43.3 m
(143 feet)
equaling the
interior height.
09/08/2012 4
5. The Oculus
This is the most impressive thing to see when entering the dome. Throughout the day, the light from the oculus moves around
this space in a sort of reverse sundial effect. The oculus also serves as a cooling and ventilation method. During storms, a
drainage system below the floor handles the rain that falls through the oculus.
09/08/2012 5
6. Circles and squares form the unifying
theme of the interior design
09/08/2012 6
7. In 609 the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the building to Pope who
converted the Pantheon into a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to "St.
Mary and the Martyrs" but informally known as "Santa Maria della
Rotonda. Therefore it has been decorated with various religious works of
art.
09/08/2012 7
