After being at Vatican City for a large part of the day we walked to the Castel Sant’ Angelo and then made our way across the river to the Piazza Novano. The piazza was filled with people and music. A freedom of information event was being held on the piazza. There was a lot of police presence but there wasn’t any violence.
We stopped for a drink and some fabulous lasagna and then we went to the Pantheon. I had been looking forward to the Pantheon (AD 118-125) for days and I was not disappointed. It took my breath away. Emperor Phocas had donated this pagan temple to Pope Boniface IV in 608 and by doing so he ensured the preservation of this ancient Rome marvel. The airy interior and the perfect proportions are breathtaking. The dome is the widest masonry dome in Europe and the middle of the dome is open to the sky. It supposed to be absolutely beautiful when it rains as the water splashed on the marble floor. I can’t wait to go back to Rome and see this on a rainy day.
We ended our day with a bit of shopping (we both bought beautiful leather sandals) some gelato followed by a really nice dinner and drinks.
Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!