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The Pantheon is one of the oldest and best-kept monuments in Rome. It was built by Hadrian in 80 AD and was put up on the ruins of another temple built by Agrippa in 27 BC of which the tympanum remains. In fact, it was this that made many believe for a long time that the present Pantheon was in fact the one built by Agrippa.

In 609 it was restructured and transformed from a Pagan temple into a Christian church by Pope Boniface IV. Once inside, the visitor cannot help but be pleasantly impressed by the huge dome, symbol of the celestial heavens, which has an opening to let in a strip of light which is the only source of natural light in the temple. This symbolises the eternal light which illuminates man and the passing of time. This symbolism is aided by the way that the Pantheon is illuminated differently at various times of the day, depending on the position of the sun which changes the direction of the ray of light inside the building.