[MR] History Blog: Madonna of the Pantheon Restored

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

A recent History Blog entry discussed the restoration of an icon known as
the Madonna of the Pantheon.

This 7th century painting is believed to have been gifted by Byzantine
Emperor Phocas to Pope Boniface IV circa 607 CE when the Pantheon in Rome
was consecrated as a Christian church, the *Basilica Santa Maria ad
Martyres*. The Pantheon, formerly a Roman pagan temple, was rededicated to
the Virgin Mary and to all the martyrs of the Roman persecution.

The icon, depicting Mary holding the baby Jesus, was painted with egg
tempera on an elm-wood panel. It is the central surviving part of a larger
piece now lost to history. The icon has suffered from years of neglect and
several botched restorations. The current restoration took eight months of
careful work.

The Pantheon's first incarnation as a temple to all the Gods built by
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa during the reign of Augustus sometime between 27
BC to 14 CE. The Pantheon burned down twice. The current structure was
rebuilt by the Emperor Hardrian, and was dedicated in 126 CE. The building
features the largest concrete dome in the world. Its design has been widely
copied, including by Thomas Jefferson for the University of Virginia's
Rotunda, the school's first library.

The story of the Madonna and its restoration is at
https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/70660 .

For a history of the Pantheon itself, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.