The Pantheon, Rome

Literally temple to all the gods, the Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa - Octavian's right hand man in 27BCE in his third consulship. This was only 4 years after their triumph over Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium. It was part of a comprehensive redevelopment of the Campus Martius in Rome, that included Baths - a large chunk of which survive behind the Panthon.

The inscription you can see reads:
M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIUM.FECIT
Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul 3 times, built this.

This Pantheon burned in the fire of 80AD and rebuilt by Domitian and then in its current startling and beautiful form by Hadrian. It is usually thought that the portico you can see here dates from Agrippa's original building whilst the rotunda is Hadrian's.

In 609 the Emperor Phocas - reining in Constantinople gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into the Christian Church of S Maria and Martyrs. Remarkably the structure survived although losing its exterior marble, and was rescued from encroaching buildings by Pope Urban VIII in the early 17th Century. Unfortunately Bernini added two little towers which were known as the asses ears, which were removed in the 19th Century.

The founding monarch of modern Italy Victor Emmanuel II is buried there and Italian monarchists maintain a vigil at his tomb - although Italy has been a Republic since 1946.

The Rotunda designed by Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia copies the Pantheon as do many other buildings round the World.