I think it is really great that you have actually been to Rome and have seen this amazing building first hand, I'm jealous actually! I grew up in Virginia and took field trips to Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello, but I am sure standing in the rotunda of the Pantheon doesn't compare. The first hand experience you have and your fun comparisons really made me enjoy reading your blog. I didn't know that it was "saved from sacking and burning during the crusades by its conversion into a Catholic church" and that it had once been destroyed and rebuilt. I for one am glad that it was preserved and agree with you that it is a significant addition into any time capsule. It is true and good to note that American Architecture today just isn't the same and we don't have the patience to create a structure that will be around and studied thousands of years from now. I think one reason why Roman culture is studied some much is because they left behind so much for us to research. What kind of legacy do you think our culture is going to leave behind, do you think current churches are as important?