Pentecost at Pantheon

Rome is a city overflowing with beautiful and unique things, but even in Rome, some things happen only once a year. Yesterday, I got to see one of those things.

I should preface all of this by saying that the Pantheon is possibly my favorite building in Rome. Not only is its design a testament to the skill (far surpassing our own modern abilities, in my humble opinion!) of Roman architects and engineers, but the dome alone has inspired countless thousands of visitors to gaze up in amazement, wondering at the massive oculus in the center. This 'eye' is a perfectly circular hole, nearly 30 feet in diameter, in the center of the dome, where the keystone would normally be placed. While I can tell you all day long that this reduces the weight of the dome, and lets in light, nothing can really convey the sense of awe I get from looking up through that oculus.

Yesterday, however, was Pentecost (the feast day in the Christan calendar that celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples after the Resurrection, causing them to speak in tongues), and in addition to being such a remarkable ancient building, the Pantheon is also a Catholic church: St. Mary and All the Martyrs. So, there was a mass yesterday morning in the Pantheon, featuring a choir (which nicely demonstrated the superior acoustics of the perfectly round dome, as well). However, the highlight of the day came at the end of the mass, when the Rome Fire Department sent men up to the roof of the Pantheon to throw down thousands of red rose petals through the oculus. The falling petals were meant to remind us all of the descent of the Holy Spirit, and certainly the mood inside the building was joyous!



What the video doesn't show is what happened after those guards let us into the center of the building: dozens of people, of all ages, scooping up armfuls of rose petals and throwing them at one another!