Most Famous Building

     The U.S. Capitol and various American state capitol buildings are not the most famous. But they are inspired by the building that is. They are near copies of the Pantheon in Rome. (pan - all; theos - gods) It was dedicated to pagan gods by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 128. 

     Steven Jones in WORLD magazine wrote, "Just entering overwhelms the senses. The floor is a patchwork of multicolored marble tiles. But the dominant feature is the domed ceiling. The dome is 143 feet off the ground, and it's pierced by a 27-foot-wide oculus (circular opening at the top of a dome), the building's only light source. 

     "The building is unchanged since antiquity. It was converted into a church early in its post-Roman history. When Rome was sacked, images of pagan gods disappeared, and the statues of Augustus and Agrippa vanished. 

     "The Pantheon's history and beauty disguise the impressive feats of engineering. The roof is made from Rome's invention: concrete. The Pantheon still holds the record as the world's largest single piece of unreinforced concrete. The walls are 20 feet thick, built in a circle to carry the weight of the roof. The dome itself has a diameter of 143 feet, the same distance as its height. 

     "Countless earthquakes have ruined other Roman buildings. On university campuses, buildings like the Library Rotunda at the University of Virginia reflect the Pantheon's enduring legacy."

See pictures of the Pantheon on your computer.