Pantheon

Crowded, noisy and long queues. This used to be a free to access church, now transformed into a tourist money making venture. Long queues to get tickets.

555clarej

A truly atmospheric historic site. An unforgettable experience.

roarj404

This is a must-see historic site for a multitude of reasons. It's a living, breathing, iconic public space and house of worship that has been in use for thousands of years. If you only have time for one site in all of Rome, in my opinion, this is the one to visit. The only reason why it gets 4 stars is the usability of their ticketing website. I made so many attempts to purchase my tickets in advance, but even after emailing them about the issue, the transaction wouldn't go through. I think this may be the fault of the Musei Italiani, though, rather than the site itself. The on-site ticketing practices could use improvement, as well. They have only three ticketing kiosks for credit cards, and an entirely separate line for cash on the other side of the entrance. The line for credit cards reached out into the piazza and into the nearby side street, and it didn't appear that they were selling to capacity, as we were able to head in right after buying. They also don't have much line enforcement, so the street vendors and line-cutters ran amok. The admissions staff were very polite, and even though it's still an operating church, there was a surprising amount of informational signage inside. I've always been fascinated by ancient Roman history, but I hadn't learned the more "recent" history of the church and its inhabitants in the tombs. If you don't know about the architecture of the site, it's worth a quick history lesson. We sat in the pews and stared at the marble patterns and admired the dome for a while. I was also surprised to learn that the doors are still on their original hinges. That means for (almost) 2000 years those heavy bronze doors have been opening and closing as they always have. I think the pantheon is the real symbol of Rome: living history that adapts and changes over time. Society changes from polytheism to monotheism a couple hundred years after building it? Change it to a Christian church. Bigger churches go up in the area? Bury some extremely important historical figures in it. Tourism becomes the largest part of your economy? Sell tickets.

BenneBC

Stepping into the Pantheon is a journey through time, where incredible architecture meets centuries of profound heritage. Make sure you read or listen to a guide to really appreciate your experience there.

Cnelly007