Pantheon
No Comments

THE PANTHEON, THE SECRET CONNECTION WITH ST. PETER’S BASILICA

As you stand beneath the Pantheon, the best preserved Ancient Rome temple, you might never guess that part of its original grandeur now lives… in St. Peter’s Basilica. In 1625, during the reign of Pope Urban VIII of the powerful Barberini family, a large portion of the Pantheon’s original bronze was removed. Why? To create something monumental: the Baldachin designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which still stands over the high altar of St. Peter’s today.

This towering bronze canopy, designed by the brilliant artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, was intended to glorify the tomb of St. Peter and serve as a dramatic focal point within the basilica. The sheer quantity of bronze required was immense, and the Pantheon offered a readily available source.

The decision to strip the Pantheon’s bronze was met with significant public outcry, even at the time. A famous Roman pasquinade, a satirical poem displayed on a statue, quipped: “Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini” – meaning, “What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did.” It was a stinging critique, accusing the Pope of plundering ancient heritage for his family’s ambitions.

So the next time you look up at the Pantheon’s walls, imagine its ancient bronze beams transformed into one of the most iconic works of the Baroque era, just a few kilometers away. It’s a powerful reminder of how, in Rome, the past is always being reused and reimagined.

BOOK NOW