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The Pantheon |
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written
by shivali / 10.24.2005 |
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Part 1: |
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I haphazardly stumbled across the Pantheon on my second afternoon in Rome. I was following mysterious streets and curving alleys when all of a sudden, the space opened and gave way to the monolithic columns of the Pantheon. There is no denying its identify even on one’s first encounter. Being late afternoon and quite hot outside, I went inside to seek refuge from the blazing Roman sun. The cool marble floors and relative shade created not only a coolness, but a calm. However, people huddled in almost every inch of the floor. Flashing cameras, different languages, and screaming children all detracted from the experience. Instead of watching the light of the oculus, I watched those around me and closely guarded my bag. I ventured to a painting on the opposite side of the Pantheon’s circle, but the mob of people made the trek almost impossible.
In the morning just after the Pantheon has opened, a visit is a more solitary and individual experience. It became apparent that the space functioned not only physically, but emotionally. For all that was bothering me the morning I walked into the Pantheon at opening, I could not remember a single irksome problem once I cross its threshold. There is a sense of peace as you cross the entrance. There is room to explore and wander. It seems easy to lose oneself within not just the largeness of the physical space, but the emotional space as well. With the open space of the interior accessible, I felt more explorative. I was not watching the other people as I had during my afternoon experience. Though elaborate paintings, sculptures, and art line the interior, it was the doomed ceiling and the oculus by which I was memorized. My head was instinctually pulled upwards for the oculus dominates and filters each experience. I look up and spent most of the time watching the light pour in. I used the light’s guidance to note the intricacies of the architecture from the marble floors to rectangles that line the dome.
By that same evening, I knew to let the light of the oculus guide the experience and observations. Each time I mature and a layer of the naive visitor merely observing some famous monument fades. In the evening, I approached the Pantheon searching for refuge, searching for something. Again, the art failed hold my attention. My head again moved upward, toward the heavens, toward the light of the oculus. As I considered the Pantheon’s meaning for the Ancient Romans and then for Christians, I became acutely aware that each group wanted a claim to the serenity and allure of the Pantheon to spread their scared message among the Romans. Even today, the pull of each visitor’s head upwards, towards the heavens and the oculus, is a reminder of their place within the universe, the skies, and on earth. Viewing the oculus and its beauty no longer requires a distinctly religious experience, but instead artistic design forces each viewer to contemplate their place within the sphere of the world and the heavens. It is only through the various visits to the Pantheon that the layers of its beauty and complexity were revealed. I began as a tourist and ended as a willing participant.
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Part 2: |
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Both within the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona, the viewer’s gaze is manipulated towards a unique center which serves a distinct purpose in navigating each visitor. In the Piazza Navona, only buildings enclose the space; initially wandering eyes survey the entire area from the details of the old buildings to the vendors merchandise to the picturesque restaurants fencing the Piazza. However, my gaze inevitably settles the Fountain of the Four Rivers. When Pope had it commissioned by Bernini, he realized that Piazza Navona would require a unifying central object. Initially, it is the grand nature of the fountain that grabs the viewer’s attention. Being the largest of the three fountains, it seems initially to be the most important. However, it is the intricate details and symbolism that captivate the viewer. With each circle around the fountain another layer of complexity is unraveled or some detail previously unobserved revealed. The Fountain of the Four Rivers marks Rome as the center of the world, but the fountain is particularly good at forcing the viewer to observe and notice the surrounding Piazza as well. So, as the viewer is forced to circumambulate it again and again, the beauty of the fountain and Piazza becomes increasingly obvious.
For the Pantheon, the unifying object is the oculus. Regardless of the grandeur of the size, the viewer’s eyes are manipulated upwards. First, the oculus is architectural unusual; it never closes, making the Pantheon’s interior open to the outside and continuous. However, the large marble walls and dome close off much of the interior to the outside world creating an unusual juxtaposition. The visitor is enclosed, but free because of the presence of the oculus, creating a unique and memorable experience for each viewer. Regardless of the massive columns and relatively small people, the central focus of the Pantheon’s interior remains the oculus and its relationship the exterior world. It manipulates light as the domed ceiling naturally guides your eyes upward to its bright light. Furthermore, it is difficult not to follow the guidance of the sloping ceiling. Then, the bright light holds the viewer’s gaze upwards. The oculus’s light and upward glance reminds most of the power and presence of the Gods. The oculus's purpose as a unifying object within an otherwise large and undirected experience is served: it reminds the viewer of the heavens and the Gods.
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