Construction of the Pantheon began in 117 A.D. and was completed about ten years later. The dome is made of poured concrete and its recessed coffers were decorated with bronze until it was removed by Emperor Constans II in 663.
The top of the dome is 142 feet above the floor. The 30-foot oculus lets in light, as it did in abundance on the gorgeous day we visited, and rain, which, according to one of our guidebooks, is quite a sight to behold. There are two drainage holes in the floor directly below the oculus.
The Parthenon was consecrated as a church to the Virgin Mary in 609, "which may explain why it is ancient Rome's best-preserved building", sez National Geographic's "Walking Rome" guidebook.
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