The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-20
TIE PANTHEON AT ROME.
The Oldest Building In the world-first Pa
gan Then ChrissIan-rhs Glorious Dome
Raphael's Tomb.

The Pantheon. called by Byron the
..pride Of Rome,n and by Pliny "one OF
the wonders Of the world" Is the Oldest
vel best preserved OF all the ancient build
incs In Rome. In fact, IL IL the only build
ing OF she ancient city not now In ruins
the only building now standing that raul
saw. as be entered the city OF his martyr
dom. II stands In "Piszzs della ROTOR
da. a part OF Rome so low that u y often
overflowed with water. Should you
visit Il when the Tiber Is fuli, you VIII De
reminded OF Venice, and will have 10 enter
the great DOORWAY In q boat. Tue ran
tbeon IA vast rotunda, its interior con-
sIsting of one immense circular room i45
feet In diameter and l43 feet In height
This measurement does not include the
walls. which are twenty feet in thlcEness.
The exterior Is rough. but the wooie oulld-
inc was once incased in marble. TWO
awkward. impairment. little modern tow
ers. or belfries. were added by order oil
Urban VIII I'm 1925. They are called, IN
derlsion, after the name OF the architect'
"the ass ears OF Bernini."
By an inscription upon the irleze OF the
portico we learn that the pantheon was
built by Agrippa (son-in-law OF Auguslus
Cesar tweuty-seyen years before Tue piitii
of Christ. which makes IL century older
than the coliseum. Though u is weather.
stained and defaeed, though II has Deen
injured by conflagrations and earthquakes,
though IL has been rayaged by Goth ana
yandal-stiIl, there 1t stands just as II
stood 1900 years agol The builders
and the very gods II honored nave
passed away, but the building still re.
main in its grandeur and glory: IL
Is thrilling to stand in that grand ro-
tunda and remember it was built be-
fore the angels sung the first Christmas
song. and has been in constant use in all
the centuries since. From the time OF
Augustus TO that OF Constantine the Pam
theon was celebrated heather temple.
Around the wall OF the one great room are
tiers OF large arched inches, IN each one OF
which once stood the statue OF god. In
the centre was colossal statue OF Jupiter.
From the marble and golden affairs beneath
once arose the incense offered to the chief
Pagan deities. As its name indicates, 1t
was dedicated TO all the gods.
In A. ID, sos Pope Boniface Nv. cleansed
the Pantheon from its heather Idols,
transferring II from paganism 10 popery,
.sfrom love TO Jesus" dedicating II to
the Virgin Mary and the martyrs. Since
then the inches OF gods have been trans
formed into shrines OF saints, the smoke
OF beathen sacrifice superseded by clouds
of incense from popisn affairs, and the
doubtful responses from the OraculaT
"Tripod" have given way to masses anu
fndulgences. In A. ID. 500 Boniface Nv.
brought twenty-eight wagon-loadS OF the
bones OF holy saints and maTtys from tue
catacombs, and had them placed under the
high altar. Thus II is appropriately named
"the Church OF Holy Mary and the Mar
tyrs." The Italians call it "Church OF
Santa Maria Rotunda." The common pe0-
pie know IL by no other name, and they
look surprised when you ask the way to
the Pantheon. over the great doorway is
the following inscription "lndul9ences-
Plenary, Daily, and Pcrpetual-for the
Living and the Dead"
As we pass in let us stop in the vestibule
and read the Latin inscription, which tells
us that in 1923 Pope Urban VIII. stripped
the bronze from the ceiling OF the pOrtico
and east some OF it into cannons for the
castle OF ST. Angelo, and used the rest for
the great Baldacchno OF st. Peters. Ii
had already been robbed by the Emperor
Constans of the gilded bronze tiles that
covered the roof, 9nd was alterward
plundered by Benedict XIV. OF pre-
cious marble. Its imposing portieo, adj
mired for ages, is 10 feet long and forty
four feet deep. 1t has sixteen magnificent
columns, arranged in three rows, each one
a single shaft OF granite five feet in diane
ter and forty-six feet high, with capitals
and bases OF white marble. On each side
IL. LARGO niQhpC
once occupied by the colossal statues OF
Augustus and Agrippa.
We enter by the massive bronze doors
that once opened 10 admit Roman senator's
and emperors. Hither came the great
Caesars TO pay their devotions to heather
divinities. Once inside, we find a vast
circular-roOm surmounted by Il mighty
dome, one Of the grandest on earth. 1t is
an exact hemisphere, and covers the entire
building. Its symmetry, beauty, aud
grandeur were greatly admired by Michael
Angelo, and by millions before and
since his day. In the summit OF the
dome Is large circular, uncovered OPEN
ing twenty-eight feet in diameter, which
admits all the light the building has, and
that Is ample. No one who has ever seen
the intense blue Of the Italian sky through
that opening. with the white, fleecy clouds
floating over 1t, can ever forget the charm
ing scene. And at night, when the great
stars keep watch and the light of the pale
moon falls ON the silent affairs, the scene is
one OF weird, magical beauty.
Behind the third altar to the left is all
that is mortal of the immortal Raphael,
50 the divine Raphael" as he is called by
his countrymen, so maryellously was he
gifted with the divine spark of genius.
This "prince Of painters" as well as
renowned sculptor and architect, was
born April @, 1853, and died April 6, 1920,
aged exactly thirty-seven years. HIS birth
day was the day Of his death. Ii is eminently
fitting that one whose fame is in all lands
should sleep beneath the matchless dome OF
the world-renowned Pantheon. In 1889
his tomb was opened, and over 300 years
after death his remains were honored with
new sareophagus. In 1888 the quattrO-
centennial OF the birthday Of the eminent
artist was observed in many lands.
Directly opposite the great doorway of
the Pantheon, in his last sleep, lies the first
of Italy's modern kings, Victor Emmanuel.
+" the father Of his country" He united
divided Italy, made Rome its capital, and
died In 1878, greatly honored by the whole
nation. twas his own request that the Pan
theon should be bis last resting-place. On
each anniversary OF his death the spot
nearest his tomb is decorated with gar
lands, floral crowns, and funeral wreaths.
When last 10 Rome we saw scores Of visit
ing-cards left French fashion, by those
who had called to pay their respects to
their late King.
Last month January, 1884 Victor En-
manuel was honored with new tomb and
monument. Eighty thousand liberty.loy.
ing Italian patriots came to their dedica.
ton and conservation. From the plains OF
Lombardy to the yine-clad hills OF Sicily,
all Italy joined in honoring their late SOW
efeign. With thousand banners waving
and scores OF bands playing funeral
marches the enormous professions gath