We have been lucky to have explored the city on other visits but it was Michael’s first time so Emerson took him on a tour. We only spent about 24 hours there on our way to Pompeii. What an absolutely incredible city – the history, the sights, the restaurants, the museums, just Everything!
Here’s something that blew my mind – the Pantheon is built on the site where a temple used to stand that was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa around 27 BC! Sadly, that structure burned down. The Roman emperor, Hadrian, had the Pantheon built between 113-125 AD. There is no actual inscription of the date of construction because Hadrian wanted to keep the inscription of the original temple commissioned by Agrippa. There is a beautiful dome inside that has an opening (called an oculus) to the sky. The entire building is extremely well preserved for being over two thousand years old, maybe because it has been in continuous use since it was constructed. (The Pantheon is the third photo.)
marschmadness 