Shrines of Italy: Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians
The Roman Pantheon is by far one of the oldest and best preserved shrines from ancient history. Located in the heart of modern day Rome, the Patheon’s history goes back as far as 25 B.C. when it was first constructed as a temple dedicated to the Roman gods. It was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times over the centuries until finally the current iteration was converted into a Christian church by Pope Boniface IV in the year 609.
Today, it is dedicated to Saint Mary and the early Christian Martyrs, a fact made apparent by much of the artwork now contained inside. It’s rounded shape allows you to view its many alcoves all at once. One of these alcoves in particular contains the tomb of the famous Renaissance painter Raphael, who was a contemporary of Michaelangelo. The latter once remarked that the Pantheon seemed to have been built by angels rather than men.
It’s most impressive feature by far is its massive, unreinforced concrete dome, which is considered to be largest dome of its kind in the world. The large hole at the very top allows the sunlight to enter the Patheon at specific angles depending on the season and the time of day. Each year, on April 21st, the anniversary of Rome’s founding, the sun will be directly overhead at high noon, casting a perfect ray of light directly into the center of the Patheon, thus evenly illuminating the entire building.
It's an event that will draw even larger crowds than usual, but it’s well worth your attention if you ever find yourself in Rome during that time. While the Patheon is among my least favorite shrines aesthetically, its historical conversion to Christianity nonetheless marks it as a testament to Christianity’s transformative power. It’s ability to take something old an make it new again; to repurpose certain aspects of culture rather than simply suppress them.
This testimony, like the Pantheon itself, has endured for many centuries, and hopefully will continue to endure for many centuries more.