Situated on the Plaza della Rotonda, Rome.
The original was built in 27BC by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to "all the gods" and destroyed during the great fire in 80 AD. The present building dates from 125AD when emperor Hadrianus had it rebuild. Later it wassanctified as a church ( Sancta Maria del Martyri or Our Lady of the Martyrs. The cassettes in the cupola used to be lined in bronze, but Pope Urbanus VIII had the bronze melted to fashion tha baldaquin of St.Peters Church with it.
The height from floor to oculus ( "eye" or the part of the cupola that is left open) is 43.30m, the same as the cupola's diamtere. That made is the largest cupola in the world for over 1300 years. To many people it is to this day one of the high points of architecture
