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Mar 14, 2018 · What are the most famous buildings of Roman architecture? The most famous surviving buildings of Roman architecture include the circular Pantheon in Rome, the Colosseum in Rome, the Pont du Gard aqueduct in southern France, the Maison Carrée temple at Nimes, Hadrian's Wall in northern England, and the House of the Vettii villa at Pompeii.
- Mark Cartwright
Jun 15, 2023 · In this guide from AD, discover the history of the Roman Empire, study the unique architectural style, and learn about famous Roman architects and their creations. What is Roman...
- Katherine Mclaughlin
- Pantheon. The Roman Pantheon is possibly the most famous domed building in Rome. Built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law of the emperor Augustus in 27 BC, it’s known as a temple devoted to all gods, but according to Roman historian Cassius Dio, the Pantheon was devoted to the gods of the Gens Julia (Julia dynasty).
- Colosseum. What’s the most famous among the ancient buildings in Rome? You guessed it, the Colosseum. A large amphitheater able to accommodate some 50.000 people, the Colosseum has an elliptical shape and measures 188 meters (roughly 617 feet) in length and 156 meters (roughly 512 feet) in width.
- Castel Sant’Angelo. Built by Emperor Hadrian as his funerary monument (that’s why it’s also known as Hadrian Mausoleum), Castel Sant’Angelo fulfills its exclusive role as the emperor’s tomb until the beginning of the 5th century when emperor Honorius adds it inside the Aurelian Walls and gives the building a new purpose: stronghold of the city.
- St. Peter’s Basilica. This is one of the most famous churches in Rome and one of the most important temples in Christendom. The Renaissance basilica we can visit today was built on top of the 4th-century Constantinian Basilica and of the ancient necropolis where is believed Saint Peter was buried.
It was in the area of architecture that Roman art produced its greatest innovations. Because the Roman Empire extended over so great of an area and included so many urbanized areas, Roman engineers developed methods for citybuilding on a grand scale, including the use of concrete .
The first Roman art can be dated back to 509 B.C.E., with the legendary founding of the Roman Republic, and lasted until 330 C.E. (or much longer, if you include Byzantine art ). Roman art also encompasses a broad spectrum of media including marble, painting, mosaic, gems, silver, bronze work, and terracottas, just to name a few.
Roman architecture covers the period from the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BC to about the 4th century AD, after which it becomes reclassified as Late Antique or Byzantine architecture. Few substantial examples survive from before about 100 BC, and most of the major survivals are from the later empire, after about 100 AD.
