Pantheon hosts European Heritage Days on 26-27 September

The Pantheon is hosting European Heritage Days guided tours in Rome on 26 and 27 September 2026, with the programme centred on the monument’s history and architecture. The site, also known as the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres, is included in the Ministry of Culture’s national weekend of heritage events.

European Heritage Days bring three tours to the Pantheon

On Saturday 26 September, Meraviglie della Rotonda begins at 10am. The Italian-language tour is presented by Chiara Pinto and examines the building’s transformation from a pagan temple into a Christian basilica, with attention to the concrete dome and the monumental bronze entrance door.

A second tour, Timeless buildings in Rome. The Pantheon and the others, starts at 11am on 26 September. The programme describes the Pantheon as one example of Roman buildings that have endured through changes in use, while the Ministry of Culture identifies the Direzione Musei nazionali della città di Roma and the Pantheon staff as the presenting bodies. The official tour programme also lists a children’s event for Sunday 27 September.

Caccia al ... Pantheon is scheduled for 4.30pm on 27 September. Laura Piazza and Annalisa Mucerino are named as its curators, and the activity uses a treasure-hunt format for children aged six to eight. The organisers describe a staged route through the history and figures associated with the Rotonda, linking the heritage weekend to the building itself rather than to a general Rome event.

The Pantheon’s dome and basilica frame the heritage programme

The present building was reconstructed during Emperor Hadrian’s reign between 118 and 125. Its cylindrical Rotonda has walls more than 6 metres thick and supports a concrete dome measuring 43.30 metres across, a dimension equal to the building’s height. The custodian’s history page identifies the structure as the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.

The original structure was constructed between 27 and 25 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. It was later transformed into the Church of Saint Mary and the Martyrs in 609, a change that explains why the heritage tours address both ancient Roman construction and the monument’s continuing religious function.

That combination gives the weekend programme a specific setting: visitors are not only hearing about Roman architecture, but entering a building whose use changed while its central dome and Rotonda remained the focus of its identity.

Visiting Pantheon: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The European Heritage Days programme takes place at the Pantheon, Piazza della Rotonda, on 26 and 27 September 2026. The Saturday tours begin at 10am and 11am, while the children’s tour begins at 4.30pm on Sunday 27 September.
• Booking is required for the guided activities. The Sunday children’s tour requires prior contact with dms-rm.pantheon@cultura.gov.it, and the official programme says participation is available until places are filled.
• The Pantheon is in Piazza della Rotonda in central Rome. The venue is the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres, so visitors should treat the interior as a place of worship as well as a historic monument.
• The Rotonda has walls more than 6 metres thick and a 43.30-metre concrete dome. The programme therefore includes substantial architectural features inside the building rather than a separate outdoor route.
• Italian is the official language and the currency in Italy is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Pantheon

When do European Heritage Days take place at the Pantheon?

The Pantheon programme runs on 26 and 27 September 2026. Tours begin at 10am and 11am on 26 September, followed by a children’s tour at 4.30pm on 27 September.

What is the Pantheon?

The Pantheon is an ancient Roman building reconstructed between 118 and 125 during Hadrian’s reign. It became the Church of Saint Mary and the Martyrs in 609.

Where is the Pantheon and how do you get there?

The Pantheon is at Piazza della Rotonda in central Rome, Italy. Its official site is the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres.