Santa Maria ad Martyres (The Pantheon)
Consecrated in 609 as an ancient Roman temple reconsecrated to St. Mary and the Martyrs — explicitly, its founders said, so that veneration would take place ‘where not gods but demons were formerly worshipped’ — the Pantheon remains an active parish church, not only a monument, though few visitors realize it. Each Pentecost, red rose petals are dropped through the oculus after Mass, traditionally by Rome’s firefighters from the roof.
Highlights
01
Relics of the Martyrs
A tradition holding that 28 cartloads of martyrs’ relics were brought here at its consecration.
02
Raphael’s Tomb
The Renaissance master Raphael asked to be buried here and was laid to rest in 1520, beneath Lorenzetto’s Madonna del Sasso on the left side of the rotunda. Pietro Bembo’s epitaph reads: here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she too would die.
03
The Dome & Oculus
Stand in the center and look up. The Roman concrete dome, still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, spans about 43.3 meters, and the 8.9-meter oculus at its crown is the building’s only source of natural light. When it rains, the rain falls straight in.
Also of note
- Chapel of the Annunciation: Melozzo da Forlì’s fresco in the Chapel of the Annunciation.
- High Altar and Apses: The high altar and apses, commissioned under Pope Clement XI.
- Royal Tombs: Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy, is buried here, as are King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. A fun aside: Margherita is the queen popularly credited with giving her name to pizza Margherita, created in her honor (so the story goes) during a visit to Naples in 1889.
Opening Hours & Tickets
9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (last entry 6:30 p.m.)
Every day except January 1 and December 25.
The on-site ticket office closes at 6 p.m. Hours can change around religious celebrations.
Visiting as a tourist: ticket required
€7 Full price
€2 EU citizens aged 18–25
Free Under 18, residents of the city of Rome, and everyone on the first Sunday of the month
Buy tickets on the official Musei Italiani ticket site or at the ticket office on site. The Pantheon is not included in the Roma Pass.
Going to Mass: no ticket needed
Entry for Mass and other liturgical or religious celebrations is free. You don’t need to buy a Pantheon admission ticket. Ticket sales stop one hour before a liturgy begins.
Verified against the official Pantheon page of Italy’s Ministry of Culture, 2026-10-07.
Mass Times
The Pantheon is not merely an ancient monument. It has been a Catholic church since 609, when it was consecrated as Santa Maria ad Martyres, and it remains an active basilica today.
Saturdays and Eves of Holy Days
5 p.m. Holy Mass
Sundays and Public Holidays
10:30 a.m. Holy Mass
Access for Mass and other liturgical celebrations and religious activities is free.
Verified against the official Pantheon page of Italy’s Ministry of Culture, 2026-10-07.
Pentecost: Rose Petals Through the Oculus
Each year on Pentecost Sunday, after the solemn Mass, Rome’s firefighters drop thousands of red rose petals through the oculus. They drift down into the church as a sign of the Holy Spirit descending on the Apostles as tongues of fire. It’s one of the Pantheon’s most distinctive Catholic traditions. Expect large crowds and arrive early if you want to be inside.