Pantheon Small-Group Guided Tour with Fast-Track Entry Rome

The Pantheon, Rome's Temple to All the Gods

The Pantheon stands on Piazza della Rotonda in the heart of the historic centre, and it is the only great building of ancient Rome still in use with its original roof. A first temple rose here in 27 BC; after fires, Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it in its present form between about AD 113 and 125, yet kept the earlier Latin inscription on the porch. Sixteen granite columns, each cut in one piece in Egypt and shipped up the Tiber, carry the portico, and the huge bronze doors date from Roman times.

In AD 609 the building was consecrated as the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres, and that new life is why it survived when other temples were stripped for stone. Is the Pantheon worth visiting with a guide? Yes: in a few minutes the porch, brick drum and dome turn from a famous postcard into Roman engineering you can read with your own eyes.

Inside the Pantheon: Dome, Oculus and Marble Floor

The dome is 43.3 m across, exactly the same as its height above the floor, so a perfect sphere would fit inside. It is made of unreinforced concrete that grows lighter towards the top, where the builders mixed in pumice, and the coffers cut into the inner surface reduce the weight further. The oculus, about 9 m wide, is the only source of light; rain falls through it and drains away through small holes in the ancient floor of porphyry, granite and coloured marble.

Your guide shows you the tombs along the walls, among them those of the first two kings of united Italy and of a celebrated Renaissance painter buried here in 1520. Around 40 minutes inside pass quickly. Pantheon tickets are now required for every visitor, and with this tour your entry is paid and fast-track, so you avoid the ticket queue at the busiest hours.

Piazza della Minerva and Santa Maria sopra Minerva

Two minutes behind the Pantheon lies Piazza della Minerva, named after a temple once believed to stand here. In the centre a small marble elephant carries an Egyptian obelisk of the 6th century BC, found in the garden of the neighbouring Dominican friary and set up on this base in 1667. Romans fondly call the statue the Pulcino della Minerva, and it is a favourite photo stop on the way between the Pantheon and the old university quarter.

Facing the elephant is Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the only major Gothic church in Rome. Its plain facade hides a deep blue vaulted ceiling painted with golden stars, and plaques beside the door mark the height of historic Tiber floods. Your guide explains how the friars, the obelisk and the vanished temple of Isis tie this quiet square to the Pantheon a few steps away.

The Temple of Hadrian on Piazza di Pietra

The Temple of Hadrian was dedicated in AD 145 by the emperor's adopted successor to honour him after his death. What survives is striking: a row of eleven fluted Corinthian columns in white marble, almost 15 m high, standing on the original raised base along one side of Piazza di Pietra. Blocks of the old temple wall are still visible behind the colonnade, framed by the later building.

In the 17th century the ruins were built into a palace that became the papal customs office, and today the hall is used by the city's chamber of commerce for exhibitions and events. The square is small and calm, and your guide uses the columns to show how Roman temples were lifted on a podium and how much the street level of Rome has risen since antiquity. About ten minutes here is enough for the story and the photos.

Piazza Navona and the Stadium of Domitian

The walk ends on Piazza Navona, whose long oval shape follows the track of the Stadium of Domitian, built around AD 86 for athletic contests. Remains of the stadium can still be seen below street level at the north end. In the Baroque age the square became the grandest stage in Rome, with three fountains, elegant palaces and the domed church of Sant'Agnese in Agone.

At the centre, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, completed in 1651, raises an obelisk above marble figures of the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Rio de la Plata. Your guide finishes here, so you can stay on in one of the liveliest squares in Rome, with street artists, cafes and gelato shops around you. In the evening light Piazza Navona is at its most beautiful, which makes the 17:30 start a lovely choice.