The Rome IndexRome's domes — a skyline guide
The city has more domes than any other in the world. Here's how to tell them apart.
St Peter's
Michelangelo designed it; Giacomo della Porta built it after Michelangelo's death. At 136 metres to the top of the cross, it dominated the Roman skyline for 300 years and is still the reference point from every high vantage point in the city.
The Pantheon
The oldest dome on the list (126 AD) and still structurally remarkable — 43.3 metres in diameter with no interior supports, built using progressively lighter concrete mixes as it rises. The oculus at the top is the only light source.
Sant'Andrea della Valle
The second-tallest dome in Rome, often mistaken for St Peter's from a distance — used as the setting for the first act of Puccini's Tosca, which gives it an outsized role in the city's operatic history.
The view from Gianicolo
The Gianicolo terrace offers the clearest view of Rome's dome-studded skyline — from here you can identify St Peter's, Sant'Andrea della Valle, San Carlo ai Catinari, the Pantheon and a dozen smaller domes in a single sweep.