Interior view of the Pantheon 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created this etching of the interior of the Pantheon in Rome, a building that has always held great cultural significance. Piranesi was known for his dramatic and exaggerated depictions of Roman architecture, and this print is no exception. The Pantheon, originally a Roman temple, was converted into a Catholic church in the 7th century. Piranesi’s image invites us to consider how the Pantheon was viewed in the 18th century, both as an ancient monument and as a contemporary religious site. The Pantheon was also a space of civic importance, and so Piranesi’s etching invites us to consider the ways in which architecture can shape social life. The Pantheon's cultural and institutional history has been extensively documented through archaeological reports, architectural studies, and religious archives. By drawing on such resources, we can understand not only the building's physical structure but also its social and political significance.