A visit to the Colosseum and the Forum Romanum should not be your only Roman sites when in Rome. Because of course there is so much else to see from the Roman Empire. Like the Pantheon for example. This former temple from the 2nd century AD was gifted to the Church and we have to thank this smart move that we can still a fully preserved Roman temple. When you approach the temple and suddenly appears like this, you understand why Rome was so mighty.
approaching the Pantheon @Rome
the Pantheon in all its glory @Rome
Once inside it is magnificent. The large round cupola gives this room a celestial feeling. No wonder the building was always a place of worship. One does get inspired by the architecture to do so.
Best of all Victor Emmanuel II is buried, the Italian king who united the country.
inside the Pantheon @Rome
resting place of Victor Emmanuel II @Pantheon
From the Pantheon we walked to the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The column is also from the second century, but rather from its end. This is of course a victory column, as were many buildings during the time. Dedicated to some victory or Roman feat.
Column of Marcus Aurelius @Rome
What impressed me that most and from which I have not really pictures is the Domus Aurea. Nero built the Golden House but soon after his death Trajan built a bath on the site. Workers got instructions to remove all valuable materials from the Golden House to reuse them in some other palace. So in most excavated rooms you can’t see anything. But some small murals survive.
What made the tour of the Domus Aurea so fascinating was the 3D part. The archaeologists and historians really did a great job. Already in the first chamber, which is still a part of Trajan’s bath we got a multimedia introduction on how it looked. The Golden House should be on your must-see list. Hopefully in a couple of years (it will probably be decades) the Domus Area shines bright again.
In any case, get your tickets in advance because the museum only allows a small number of visitors in at the same time. And bring a jacket, it’s rather cold down there. Yours, Pollybert
preparing for the Domus Aurea tour @Rome
a map of the Golden House @Rome
small mural in the Domus Aurea @Rome
