The Pantheon Research Paper

The Pantheon and St. Peter’s Basilica are two historic monuments that helped influence history, arts, culture, and society in the Roman Empire. St. Peter’s Basilica was modeled after the Pantheon in the Renaissance Era. St. Peter’s yields insights into the importance of the works of renown architects such as Michelangelo, Donato Bramante, and Carlo Maderno. While many recognize Michelangelo, a famous Italian Renaissance artist, for his marvelous sculptures and paintings such as in the Sistine Chapel, his hard work and dedication in St. Peter’s should not go unnoticed. Donato Bramante, the first architect to be employed in the construction of St. Peter’s, skillfully merged the architecture of the Pantheon into the Basilica. He "envisioned a

His ideas helped shape the artistic vision of the St. Peter’s. Due to the rebellions of the Protestant Reformation, he wanted the Basilica to encapture the idea of “unity.” Michelangelo altered the “interior into a continuum of space” and “the exterior into a cohesive body (Ackerman).” He also wanted the Basilica to have a simpler structure to allow in light to peer from many angles, similar to the Pantheon. In the Pantheon, the aspect of light was an important element in its construction, possibly a reminder to the people that the gods are present in all life and constantly watching. In St. Peter’s, the use of light is also used to depict God’s heavenly presence in the world. Michelangelo added walkways and windows along the sides of the lower dome. He adjusted Bramante’s Greek cross and created more space within to a large groups of people to gather. He “created huge semicircular walls echoing inside the dome to support the weight of the dome (Wu).” Before his death, Michelangelo also placed the dome on a elevated drum to show the immensity of the church. The elevation of the dome signified that St. Peter’s would not be a church to be overlooked easily, as it towered above the skyline. Michelangelo’s sensational changes to St. Peter’s would have not occurred without the construction of the Pantheon because the idea of the drum and the dome. The drum and dome at the Pantheon fit flawlessly in terms of mathematics,

Peter’s. He assembled a plan similar to the Pantheon by using similar lighting techniques and designed the façade, to resemble the Pantheon in several ways such as having a dedication on the façade. For example, St. Peter’s façade reads: “In honor of the prince of Paul V Borghese, Pope, in the year 1612 and the seventh year of his pontificate.” It seems Maderno attempted to be consistent with Michelangelo's work in St. Peter’s. He “respected Michelangelo's plan and diverged from it so seamlessly that the three additional bays don’t feel grafted (Scotti).” Maderno added three bays to the East wing, which enlarged it by two-hundred feet and transformed the building from a central to a basilica plan. In the three bays, he included identical Corinthian columns, arches, and ceilings. However in the nave, the lighting became an issue: Maderno had to “lower windows” and “sloped the portico roof to allow light from the upper windows to enter (Scotti).” The problem Maderno encountered was that he needed to create a façade that would not entirely remove the focus from the dome. Using travertine stone, he created the façade and supported it with Corinthian columns and a main pedestal. The main pedestal contains the thirteen apostles, except for a Saint Peter statue who is placed on the stairs. The Pantheon relates to Maderno’s additions because Corinthian columns are used in it as well. While the Pantheon