78 ROME SILENT BEAUTY THE PANTHEON (A GREEKWORD THAT MEANS “ALL THE GODS”) IS ROME’S MOST FAMOUS ANCIENT MONUMENT, WITH THE EXCEPTIONOF THE COLOSSEUM. BUILT IN 27 BC BY MARCUS VESPASIANUS AGRIPPA, SON-IN-LAWOF AUGUSTUS, IT WAS THEN REBUILT AS WE SEE IT TODAY EARLY IN THE SECOND CENTURY AD UNDER EMPEROR HADRIAN. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW BUILDINGS IN ANCIENT ROME TOHAVE REMAINED STANDING, AND IT ALSO PRESERVES SOME OF ITS ORIGINAL DECORATIONS. THIS IN SPITE OF THEWELL-KNOWN EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 1628, WHEN POPE URBAN VIII BARBERINI HAD ALL THE ANCIENT BRONZE COVERING THE PORTICO BEAMS STRIPPED AWAY TOMAKE EIGHTY CANNONS FOR CASTEL SANT’ANGELO, AS WELL AS BERNINI’S BALDACHIN (CANOPY) OVER THE HIGH ALTAR OF SAINT PETER’S, RESULTING IN THE FAMOUS LATIN QUIP: “QUOD NON FECERUNT BARBARI FECERUNT BARBERINI” (WHAT THE BARBARIANS DID NOT DO, THE BARBERINI DID).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI4OTY=