Parting ways with the Pantheon

In the first week of our seven-week trip, every time I saw a monument, either new or familiar, I would be excited to know that it was my neighbor or was in the city I would call home for half of my summer. In the last week of this trip, I have noticed that when I see a monument all I can think is, "this is the last time I will walk by here, at least for several years." I hate to think that I will be driving by local dumps in my hometown in just one day instead of randomly walking by the Pantheon, as I have so often done on this trip.

The whole scene has a different feel to me, especially on my last day. When I walked through Piazza della Rotonda on my way back from saying goodbye to the Trevi Fountain, I found myself just staring at the structure. I was thinking about how much I will miss it. I will miss observing people in the square as they take pictures, eat, drink, etc. I will especially miss listening to people's conversations such as the day two men thought they had found the Parthenon.

The Pantheon and Piazza della Rotonda will always be close to my heart when I reminisce on the days of my Roman adventure in the city.

Gotta love the Gold-digging Gladiators

Famous tourist spots always have the best gimmicks to assist you in spending your Euros. In the Piazza della Rotonda, just outside the Pantheon, are two Romans decked out in gladiator attire. Everyday, they will be there ready to badger you to take a picture with them. If you choose to take a photo though, it will cost you 5 five euro per person. I think that is a terrible value since they are far from authentic looking in their synthetic capes. You are better off just getting a picture of yourself with the Pantheon and saving your money to spend on some delicious gelato right there in the piazza. Of course there will always be tourist ready to take their picture with the faux gladiators, so as long as people keep spending their money, the gladiators will be available for a photo shoot.

Another money trap right outside the Pantheon next to the gladiators is the table of souvenirs. These stands are popular all over town, but you will mostly find them in prime tourist locations such as this area. They have a range of trinkets, from statues to books, but they are all outrageously overpriced. One of the statues of the Colosseo available outside the Pantheon was going for 45 euro. These items are the quality of what would be available in a common dollar store in the United States. If you are inclined to purchase, however, the salesmen would be more than happy to accept your money.

Rethinking la fontana @ Piazza d. Rotonda

On May 25, 2009, I wrote about the fountain in my favorite piazza, Piazza della Rotonda. Looking back, I think I left out some important details. Today, I was in the piazza just spending some time observing tourists and seeing what else was going on. I decided to snap a few more pictures of the area. When I was photographing the fountain I got closer than usual and I thought about the sculpture around the obelisk. From a distance, the fountain is beautiful - I noticed the decent size, the tall obelisk, the running water. When I got up closer to photograph it in more detail I noticed the carvings should not be described as beautiful.

The human head situated between two dolphins looks like it is modeled after an insane man making a creepy face. The dolphins themselves look just as freakish as the man. The whole fountain in finer detail has a very odd style. When you look up a little higher it appears that a demented fish is spraying you with water. Regardless of how odd the sculpture is, I still enjoy and appreciate the talent of the artist and the great condition it is in for its age, almost 435 years old!

The Relieving Arches of the Pantheon

I was in the Piazza Della Rotonda today observing the place I have chosen to focus some of my blogs on each week. It was a particularly gorgeous day outside at the piazza; there just a couple wispy clouds in the sky and the sun was down on all of the tourists. I was sitting at the fountain taking all the action of the area in.

I decided to walk closer to the Pantheon and I began listening to a tour being given to a couple people and it was luckily in English! The guide was discussing the exterior of the Pantheon and pointing out some architectural features that I had never taken into account before. I learned that the walls of the Pantheon are an amazing twenty feet thick. Visible from the exterior are built-in brick arches which I have provided a picture of above. These brick arches distribute weight downwards which functions to support and relieve the stress of the heavy roof or dome of the building.

Shopping around the Pantheon

As with mostly all main tourist areas there is shopping located in the immediate vicinity. There are many shops around the Pantheon that attract many customers each day. It is ironic that you have the Pantheon as the centerpiece of this area that is a temple and free to enter. Then, around the sacred artifact, you have many businesses with high prices ready to take your money. Of course, it is like that wherever you go in a popular tourist area, but I expected it to be different in Rome. I didn't expect a can of Coca-cola to be 4 euro (roughly 5.60 US dollars) just because it is near some ancient ruins but location is everything!

I would recommend heading up the Via del Corso and Via Condotti for the best shopping in Rome but if you are looking for some light shopping around the Piazza della Rotonda and Pantheon there are some nice places scattered around. Behind the Pantheon is a nice scarf shop called Sciunnach. The scarves sold here will cost you close to 100 euro or more but they are by the designer Missoni after all. If you are looking for a cheaper piece of fabric to throw around your neck you can always stop by one of the street vendors scattered down the side streets near the Pantheon for a much better deal, but, of course, less quality. Beyond scarves there are some beautiful jewelry and shoe stores also. Directly to the left of the Pantheon, down Via Seminario, are some stores with handcrafted leather and suede bags at reasonable prices.

People near the Pantheon

There are constantly people around the Pantheon at Piazza della Rotonda. Over the past four weeks, I have been observing this specific place at all times of the day. One thing about this piazza that I know for certain is that it is undoubtedly a main tourist attraction. Especially in the late afternoon, hundreds of people congregate to take pictures of the Pantheon or to sit down to have a drink or light refreshment.

I continue to notice that every tourist that turns a corner or comes off of a side street has the same reaction when the Pantheon comes into their view. They will always smile and immediately snap a picture. Often I will see people ask someone to take a picture of themselves or whomever they are traveling with. Many times the two parties do not speak the same language and instead, they hold up the camera and say "photo?" with a smile - it always works.

Definitely my favorite occurrence happened the other day when I was near two men talking in the piazza. As I was making my way to the Hotel Sole al Pantheon, a confused man said, "What's this? The Parthenon?" In response, his companion said, "I have no idea but let's get a picture."

Hotel Sole al Pantheon

This week my cousin was in Rome to visit me and I had the chance to experience staying at a hotel located at the Piazza Della Rotonda. Pictured here to the left, the hotel’s name was the Sole al Pantheon. This four-star hotel is the oldest hotel in Rome dating back to 1497; it is amazing how fantastically preserved the building is. It was a charming, small place nestled in between a gelateria and a jewelry store. Inside, there was a Mediterranean feeling given off by many green plants and cool terracotta floors. To the back of the lobby there was a gently flowing waterfall. The hotels logo, a smiling sunshine, was everywhere. It was on the staircase as well as paper products and miniature toilette-trees provided in the get rooms.

The rooms were luxurious. They had soft beds and printed fabric everywhere. It was nice to have air conditioning during the hot afternoon siesta. Also, this is definitely a great place for tourists to stay as you have views of the Pantheon (that is, if you get a front room) and within walking distance to many other touristy sites like the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. I think the Sole lived up to its four star rating because the location, accomodations, and service were great!

Tombs @ the Pantheon

When I was inside the Pantheon, admiring the beauty of the architecture, I paid closer attention to what was around the room rather than glancing around and snapping a picture. On my first trip to Rome, I mostly just toured things without researching the amazing artifacts inside and around the places. This time, I am learning more specific things about the historic places by reading and being aware of the artifacts. Inside the Pantheon at Piazza Della Rotonda, two of Italy's kings are honored by tombs. The tomb I found the most striking is Vittorio Imanuele's; however, if you read my previous blog on him, you would find out that it is not surprising his tomb is so extravagant. The black really stands out from all the lighter marble around the interior of the Pantheon. Other tombs inside include that of famous Renaissance artist Raphael and Baldassare Peruzzi. I can spend so much time in the Pantheon. This single space has so much to look at and learn about.

La Fontana a Piazza Della Rotonda

The fountain in the center of the Piazza Della Rotonda is a favorite spot for people to sit. At all times of the day you can see people resting their feet near the water works. During the scorching afternoon when the sun is the hottest, the running water makes you long for a cold swim. Many people stick there hands in to feel the refreshing flow. The steps up to the fountain, designed by Giacomo della Porta and carved by Leonardo Sormani in 1575, are my favorite place to sit once the sun goes down passed the surrounding buildings. The impressive Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II was added to the piazza in 1711.

Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides: Rome

The Pantheon may be one of the best neighbors I will ever have. By living a stones throw away from it, I have the luxury of passing by almost daily. Often times I will walk inside just to get a view of the incredible ceiling. Pictures do not do the dome of the Pantheon any justice; actually being there will take your breath away. The ceiling is the widest masonry dome in all of Europe (precisely 142 ft high and 142 ft wide). A beam of sunlight enters through the center, called the oculus (27 ft diameter), which also provides structural support for the dome.

Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides

The Piazza della Rotonda: Morning, Noon, Night.

Visiting the Piazza della Rotonda at various times of the day will offer different kinds of crowds and observations. In the morning, approximately 9 a.m. (pictured above), you can see the tourists beginning to emerge from their lodgings. The slow slew of people that walk toward the front of Pantheon have the warm sun on them from the east. In the afternoon, the piazza is alive with multitudes of people admiring the area, eating gelato by the fountain, or enjoying some lunch. The piazza is the hottest in the afternoon with the sun heating up the black cobble stones which pave the area. Late at night, the whole scene is cool and calm with couples sitting near the columns of the Pantheon or walking home from a fun night out.

The Pantheon @ Piazza Della Rotonda

Since Roman Emperor Hadrian designed the Pantheon, or temple "of all the gods," people have admired it for its massive scale an beauty. It is located in Rome and is the main attraction at the Piazza Della Rotonda. In the piazza many tourists stand and admire the ancient masterpiece. there are also a number of open-air dining restaurants here where you can sit admire the piazza. It is a very busy place throughout the day but if you happen to pass through on the way home from a late night out it is peaceful and quiet. The Pantheon and Piazza Della Rotonda is a must see when traveling in Rome.
[DK Eyewitness Travel: Rome]