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Primo Lume
The Pantheon's columned portico seen across an empty, dark cobbled Piazza della Rotonda in the blue hour before sunrise.

History

The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Baroque lanes

Stand under the oculus at midday, then lose an hour in the lanes around it.

Overview

Almost two thousand years on, the Pantheon still has no window but the opening in the middle of the dome. Stand under it and the sun moves across the stone like a slow clock. It rains inside too. The floor curves slightly, and the drains are still doing their job.

From there it is a five-minute walk to Piazza Navona, built on the footprint of a Roman stadium, and we spend the rest of the morning in the lanes between them, where Bernini and Borromini competed for the same patrons and left their rivalry in stone.

  • Inside the Pantheon with a guide, timed for the beam of light
  • Piazza Navona and the story of Bernini and Borromini's rivalry
  • A coffee at one of the old roasters near the Pantheon
  • Hidden courtyards and church doors your guide knows are open

How it unfolds

  1. 10:00

    Piazza della Rotonda

    We start on the square, outside, so you see the portico before you go in. Your guide explains what was added and what is original, including the bronze doors.

  2. 10:20

    Inside the Pantheon

    We enter at the front of the queue. Under the oculus, your guide shows you the beam, the coffers and the tombs, including Raphael's. You get ten minutes alone to look up.

  3. 11:00

    Coffee

    A stand-up espresso at one of the long-established roasters beside the Pantheon, where the counter has been busy since the 1940s.

  4. 11:20

    Piazza Navona

    We cross to the square that was once a stadium. Your guide stands you in front of the Fountain of the Four Rivers and the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone and tells the story of the two architects who did not speak.

  5. 12:15

    The lanes

    We finish by wandering the lanes towards the river, through courtyards and past church doors, and end at a spot you can reach again later on your own.

Photograph 1 of 3

Looking up into the Pantheon's coffered dome as a shaft of sunlight pours through the oculus and rakes across the stone.

Looking up into the Pantheon's coffered dome as a shaft of sunlight pours through the oculus and rakes across the stone.

Included

  • A local guide for the whole walk
  • Pantheon entry at the front of the queue
  • An espresso beside the Pantheon
  • Small group, never more than 10

Not included

  • Food beyond the coffee
  • Entry to other churches that charge a small fee
  • Gratuities, which are never expected

Where we meet

Piazza della Rotonda, beside the obelisk fountain

Piazza della Rotonda, 00186 Roma

Your guide holds a small wooden sign with the Primo Lume oculus. The Pantheon is open daily from 9:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30, so there is no gate to miss.

Open in maps

Good to know

Questions

Do I need to book Pantheon tickets myself?

No. We buy them for you and include them in the price.

Is there a dress code?

The Pantheon is a working church. Cover your shoulders and knees, and keep your voice down inside.

Will I actually see the beam?

On a clear day, yes. In winter it reaches lower down the wall, which is more dramatic. On a grey day you still get the oculus and the sky.

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