Why is the Roman Pantheon also known as Santa Maria ad Martyres?

Originally built as an ancient polytheist temple to all gods, the Pantheon was consecrated as a Christian church in the seventh century. It received the dedication of Saint Mary and the Martyrs, becoming known as the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres. This continuous religious use helped preserve the building remarkably well over nearly two millennia.

What we know

• The Pantheon has served as the Roman Catholic Basilica of Saint Mary and the Holy Martyrs since AD 609, and is also known under variant names like the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. [1, 2]
• The building was originally a polytheist temple built under Emperor Augustus and reconstructed under Hadrian. [2]
• Continuous use throughout its history is a major reason why the Pantheon is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings. [2]

Still open

• The exact date of construction for the current Pantheon building is uncertain because Hadrian chose to re-inscribe it with Agrippa's original date inscription.

Where to go next

• how it workedHow does the Pantheon's unreinforced concrete dome work?
• whoWho was Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the other major pilgrimage churches in Rome?
• compared withHow does Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri utilize ancient ruins?
• whenWhen was the Pantheon transformed into a Christian basilica?
• an unexpected connectionHow were ancient thermal baths turned into churches?Just as the ancient Pantheon was transformed into a Christian basilica, the ruined frigidarium and tepidarium of the Roman Baths of Diocletian were converted into the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.

Sources

• [1]Pantheon (Wikidata Q99309) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Pantheon, Rome · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Santa Maria Maggiore · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Santa Maria Antiqua · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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8. /Why is the Roman Pantheon also known as Santa Maria ad Martyres?