Domes of Rome

It is said that all roads lead to Rome, and one of Rome's most important feature are her domes. Domes top churches, ancient temples, and look like crowns popping up on the skyline wherever you look. Rome has the tallest and largest unsupported domes in the world.

St. Peter's Basilica is of course the best known of all the domed structures in Rome. This could easily have been part of the last posting on symmetry. This iteration was completed in 1626. The dome was designed by Michelangelo and executed by Bramante.

Far left is San Carlo al Corso (1610) and the ones in the far center may be Il Gesu (1573) and Madonna dei Monti (1580). Dates are completion dates.

Please excuse the smudge, it's something on my camera lens. The dome to the left is San Carlo ai Catinari (1722) and the one on the right may be San Andrea della Valle (1650). In the distance is St. Peters (1626) towering above all. All dates are completion dates.

You can see the dome of the Pantheon just to the left of the large dome I could not identify that appears to be two colors of roof tiles.

The Pantheon (dedicated 126 CE) was built during the reign of Hadrian. It is the best preserved ancient Roman monument, converted to a church in the 7th century CE. It was a unique structure that has been copied many times over the centuries.

I did not take this photo and it's hard to get a good photo of the inside of the Pantheon without special equipment. The hole in the center is an actual hole open to the sky so it acts as a sundial, rain or other weather pours in through the open space. The ceiling is made out of an early form of concrete getting lighter as it goes up towards the top. It was an amazing feat to create and is amazing it is still standing to this day.

Just to give you an idea of the scale, the entrance doors are 21' tall.

You are right, not a dome but inside the gated arch is one of the most important domed structures of the Renaissance.

The tiny Tempietto by Bramante was used as a model for so much Renaissance art and architecture after its construction in 1502. Central plan, proportionate and harmonies, and could easily have been included in the last posting about symmetry. It's closed off from use by everyone and is actually probably too small for much real use in any case. It's just so strange that this perfect object is hidden away where virtually no one gets to appreciate it, unless you know it's there.