One of the most fascinating and enigmatic buildings in Rome, the Pantheon has always tickled the curiosity of researchers. Drawing on recent studies and publications (see, for example, G. Grasshoff, M. Heinzelmann and M. Wäfler (eds), The Pantheon in Rome (2009)), this new book presents a comprehensive picture of the Pantheon's long durée — as advertised in the title. It collects the contributions of twelve authoritative scholars and is enriched by 165 black and white figures and 24 colour plates.
The book opens with an introduction by the two editors (ch. 1) who provide a useful guide for the reader. The volume is divided into two equal parts. Chs 2–7 deal with the Pantheon during the Roman era, from its first dedication in the late first century b.c., to the majestic reconstruction in the second century a.d. Chs 8–13 outline the story of the building in the post-antique period, illustrating its progressive modifications as well as its legacy in terms of architectural design.
In ch. 2, Eugenio La Rocca details the results of recent archaeological research on Agrippa's Pantheon, arguing that the original building faced north and was aligned with the mausoleum of Augustus (figs 2.1, 2.11; pl. XVI). The existence of a rotunda in the first phase, though not covered by a dome, would be supported by the parallel with a building at Chester (67; fig. 2.10). Equally ground-breaking is the re-study of the Pantheon's brick stamps by Lise M. Hetland (ch. 3). Among the seventy in-situ specimens recorded by Herbert Bloch in the 1930s, only one can be securely dated to Hadrian's reign (87–9, table 3.2). Thanks to the analysis of their findspots within the building, H. argues that the Pantheon must have been conceived by Trajan around a.d. 114, while Hadrian inherited the project and concluded it (c. a.d. 123).
Chs 4–7 are all focused on aspects of the Pantheon's construction process. Giangiacomo Martines looks at the (theoretical) harmonious combination of the drum and dome (ch. 4); Gene Waddell highlights the importance of previous building experiences, especially those of Trajan's Baths and Trajan's Markets, which were assimilated and readapted here (ch. 5). A pioneer in this area of research, Janet DeLaine presents in ch. 6 a calculation of the hypothetical manpower required for construction (tables 6.1–5). The comparison with Trajan's Baths and the Temple of Venus in Rome makes the Pantheon appear an ‘ordinary’ building, rather than the ‘mammoth’ described by traditional scholarship. Indeed the estimated number of 240 annual workers is extremely modest when compared with the four thousand men needed for the central block of the Baths of Caracalla (190).
The complications faced while erecting the Pantheon are discussed by Mark Wilson Jones in ch. 7. Many readers will be familiar with his innovative theories, especially the ‘compromise hypothesis’ about the portico (M. Wilson Jones, Principles of Roman Architecture (2000), 199–212). In these pages, however, W.J. describes in more detail some elements that further support his conjectures. Pl. XXIII, showing the continuity of mortar and the bipedalis which traverses the junction between transitional block and rotunda, leaves very little room for arguments against the contemporaneous construction of the two structures at the lower level (204–9).
Converted into a church by Boniface IV, the Pantheon acquired a new history as Sanctae Mariae ad martyres, or, as more commonly referred to, Sanctae Mariae Rotundae. Erik Thunø pays particular attention to the legacy of this building throughout the Byzantine period and the Middle Ages (ch. 8). Afterwards, the Pantheon became an inspiration for artists and architects during the Renaissance (Raphael, Giuliano da Sangallo, Brunelleschi) and the relevance of their studies is commented on by Arnold Nesselrath in ch. 9.
Chs 10 and 11 are important for understanding the transformations that involved the Pantheon's interior and exterior, determining the aspect of the monument as we observe it today. Tod A. Marder offers an overview of the seventeenth-century events (ch. 10). While not so extensively spoliated as other buildings, the Pantheon nevertheless suffered from Urban VIII's activity when this pope (of the Barberini family) gave orders for the portico's bronze truss to be removed (297–304). This loss was not in the least compensated by the addition of the two bell towers (orecchie d'asino), for which Bernini is still often unjustly blamed. As illustrated by Susanna Pasquali in ch. 11, the attic of the interior was extensively altered in 1753 by Paolo Posi, who replaced what was left of the original pilastrini with the much-criticized rectangular panels still in place today (342–52; figs 11.9–10; pl. VIII).
In ch. 12, Robin B. Williams discusses the renewed rôle of the Pantheon as a state monument in the late nineteenth century, glorifying Italy's unification through Victor Emanuel II's ostentatious funeral. Finally, the influence of the Pantheon on modern architecture is explored by Richard A. Etlin in ch. 13: from Schinkel's Altes Museum in Berlin (1824–1830) to Wright's Guggenheim Museum in New York (1943–1959).
Because editing and publishing the book has been a long (praiseworthy) process, some of these contributions can now be found in more extended form elsewhere (see chs 2, 3, 9). Nevertheless, their inclusion enhances the volume's unquestionable value and references to more up-to-date accounts are always indicated. It is to be hoped that the publisher will release a paperback edition soon. This will hopefully allow the correction of minor typographic errors which occur especially in ch. 1, and in some footnotes and captions. More importantly, a cheaper retail price will allow more readers to purchase this book, as it will surely raise the interest of archaeologists, historians, architects and the general public.
