Temple to all Gods -- Pantheon

Commissioned by Marcus Agrippa
and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian
about 126 AD, this best preserved
of all ancient Roman buildings, is a
spiritual temple devoted to the 12
gods of heaven. Romans believed
that Romulus ascended to heaven
from this place.
Never-ending throngs of tourists
gather inside and outside these
large granite Corinthian columns
at the Piazza della Rotonda.
Stride through the portico and
entrance hall to discover the
famous rotunda, whose interior
was painted by Giovanni Paolo
Panini, in the 18th century. This awe-inspiring hall was designed to
symbolize the arched vault of the
heavens. Look up to the opulently
coffered concrete dome with a
central opening, through which the
sun shines all day. While the oculus
shall symbolize the light-giving and life-providing sun -- it's the source
of all life on earth -- the rain that
comes through, is being collected
in a drain in the center of the floor.