List of Roman domes


This is a list of Roman domes. The Romans were the first builders in the history of architecture to realize the potential of domes for the creation of large and well-defined interior spaces. Domes were introduced in a number of Roman building types such as temples, thermae, palaces, mausolea and later also churches. Semi-domes also became a favoured architectural element and were adopted as apses in Christian church architecture.
Monumental domes began to appear in the 1st century BC in Rome and the provinces around the Mediterranean Sea. Along with vaults and trusses, they gradually replaced the traditional post and lintel construction which makes use of the column and architrave. The construction of domes was greatly facilitated by the invention of concrete, a process which has been termed the Roman Architectural Revolution. Their enormous dimensions remained unsurpassed until the introduction of structural steel frames in the late 19th century.

Domes

All diameters are clear span in m; for polygonal domes applies to the in-circle diameter. Main source is Jürgen Rasch's study of Roman domes.
Diameter ⌀
Name,
Part		LocationBuiltShape of dome,
Ground plan		Material,
Roof construction		Shell
Thickness ST

ST to ⌀		Curtain Wall
Thickness CWT

CWT to ⌀		Diameter Oculus DO

DO to ⌀		Comments/
Other Characteristics
PantheonRome126 ADRotundaConcrete,
Lead plate roofing		~ 1.35
1:32		~ 5.93
1:7.3		8.95
1:4.9		Largest dome of the world until 1881; largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present; archetype of Western dome construction to this day
Lake Avernus1st c.
Baths of Caracalla,
Caldarium		Rome3rd c.AmphorasEight pillars; largest dome of the world out of ceramic hollowware
Baiae2nd c.1.20
1:25		~ 5,70
1:5.2
Baiae2nd c. -~ 2.90
1:9.1		Outer wall pillars
Mausoleum of MaxentiusRome4th c.Rotunda
Baths of Agrippa,
'Arco della Ciambella'		RomeRotundaFirst Thermae in Rome with central dome; largest dome of the world
Arch of Galerius and RotundaThessaloniki4th c.Brick~ 1
1:24		6.00
1:4		Largest brick dome of the world
Sanctuary of AsclepiusPergamon2nd c.Brick -3.35
1:7.1		Earliest monumental brick dome; largest brick dome of the world
to
~ 19.80		St. Gereon's BasilicaCologne4th c.Oval with eight niches and apseLater medieval structure with Roman building fabric largest occidental dome between Hagia Sophia and Florence Cathedral
Rome4th c.DecagonConcrete with brick ribs0.56
1:42		~ 2.60
1:9.1		Outer wall pillars
Baths of AntoninusCarthage2nd c.PolygonSeven domes with diameters between 17 and 22 m
Rotunda at the HippodromeConstantinople5th c.Rotunda with ten niches
Baths of Diocletian,
San Bernardo		Rome~ 300Concrete with brick ribs
or
21.25		Baths of Diocletian,
'Planetarium'		Rome~ 300Umbrella dome,
Octagon		Concrete with inner brick covering4.20
1:5.1
BaiaeConcrete3.65
1:5.9		Earliest monumental dome; largest dome of the world
Mausoleum of HelenaRome4th c.Ceramic amphora incorporated into dome's base0.90
1:22		2.40
1:8.4
Baths of Caracalla,
Side building		Rome3rd c.OctagonPreliminary form of the pendentive dome
Baths of Bacucco4th c.Umbrella dome,
Octagon
Baths of Diocletian,
Tepidarium		Rome~ 3003.68
1:5.2
Ostia3rd c. -1.98
1:9.3
Church of EuphemiaConstantinople5th c.Hexagon
Hadrian's Villa,
'Serapeum'		Tivoli2nd c.Umbrella domeConcreteHollow space system
Imperial Baths,
Tepidarium		Trier4th c.Concrete
Basilica of San VitaleRavenna6th c.Clay pipe,
Wooden roof construction
Nymphaeum in Albano Laziale?1st c.Concrete2.08
1:7.6		Earliest evidence for hollow spaces at dome's base for reduction in weight
to
~ 13.00		Southern bathsBosra3rd-4th c.OctagonConcrete
Western bathsJerash2nd c.SquareVoussoirOne of the earliest stone domes with square plan; largest stone dome of the world
Rome4th c.Lead plate roofing0.90
1:16		~ 1.80
1:8.2		3,70
1:4.0
Porto~ 3rd c.Concrete with inner brick covering -~ 2.20
1:6.6
Mausoleum of Tor de' SchiaviVia Prenestina4th c.0.60
1:23		2.60
1:5.3		Four openings at dome's base
Domus AureaRome1st c.Cloister vault,
Octagon		Concrete5.99
1:2.3		First dome with octagonal plan; earliest in palace architecture
Mausoleum of DiocletianSplit~ 300Brick,
Tiled roof		0.68
1:20		3.40
1:3.9		Double-walled dome
Chapel of Saint AquilinoMilan4th c.Brick
Tivoli4th c.Concrete with brick ribs1.30
1:9		2.08
1:5.9		2.10
1:5.9
Hadrian's Villa,
Summer Triclinium 		Tivoli2nd c.Concrete with inner brick covering
Baths of Aquae FlavianaeEl Hammam3rd c.Clay pipesLargest dome of the world out of ceramic hollowware
Church of HodegetriaConstantinople5th c.Hexagon
SkeuophylakionConstantinople~ 5th c.Dodecagon
BaptisteryNocera Superiore
Campania		6th c.Eight rectangular dome windows
Hadrian's Villa,
'Heliocaminus'		Tivoli2nd c.Double-walled dome with spacing for ceiling heating
Pergamon~ 2nd c.BrickTwo Rotunda; largest brick dome of the world
Santa CostanzaRome4th c.Concrete with brick ribs,
Tiled roof directly resting on dome shell		~ 0.70
1:16		1.45
1:7.9		Tambour
Mor Gabriel MonasteryTur Abdin6th c.Brickyes
PraetoriumCologne4th c.Octagon -2.00
1:5.7
Gordian's VillaRome,
Via Prenestina		3rd c.Octagon -~ 1.35
1:8.2		Preliminary form of the pendentive dome; eight openings at dome's base
Therme d’Allance??
Mausoleum of GallienRome,
Via Appia		3rd c.Rotunda with six niches -~ 1.60
1:6.8
Centcelles,
near Tarragona		4th c.Brick and stone~ 0.40
1:27		~ 1.90
1:5.6
to
~ 9.40		Hadrian's Villa,
small baths		Tivoli2nd c.Elliptical dome with wavelike rim
Gordian's Villa,
Hall		Via Prenestina~ 2nd c.
Via Latina2nd c.Ceramic amphora at dome's baseEarliest known use of amphora at dome's base
Cathedral,
Baptistery		Ravenna5th c.
Rotunda of St. George, Sofia,
Sofiaearly 4th c.RotundaBuilt by the Romans in the 4th century, it is a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base.
Hadrian's Villa,
Piazza d'Oro 		Tivoli2nd c.Umbrella dome~ 1,90
1:5.0
Praetextat catacomb,
'Calventier tomb'		Rome3rd c.Rotunda with six niches
Capito Thermae,
Laconicum		Miletus1st c.Concrete
Small RoundtempleBaalbek3rd c.
Domus AugustanaRome1st c.Cloister vault,
Octagon		One of the earliest cloister vaults with octagonal curtain walls
Rome,
Via Appia		~ 4th c.~ 0.90
1:9		2,30
1:3.5		~ 1.50
1:5.4
Baths of MaxentiusRome4th c.Umbrella dome,
Octagon
Domus FlaviaRome1st c.
to
~ 6.20		Hadrian's Villa,
'Heliocaminus'		?2nd c.Cloister vault,
Uneven octagon
NymphaeumRiza,
Epirus		~ 250-350Dodecagon
Baiae2nd c.Flat umbrella dome,
Octagon
Hall of Thermae Pisa?~ 2nd c.Cloister vault with eight windows,
Octagon		2.00
1:3.3
Stabian Thermae,
Laconicum		PompeiiCone vault ConcreteyesOldest known concrete domes
Hunting ThermaeLeptis Magna~ 200Cloister vault with eight windows
Arch of Marcus AureliusTripoli?Cloister vaultVoussoir
Water CastellumPompeii-
14 AD		Flat dome
Octagon near 'Temple of Mercury'Baiae2nd c.Umbrella dome,
Octagon
San Vitale,
Stair towers		Ravenna6th c.Brick
Rome,
Via Nomentana		2nd c.Square
TabulariumRomeCloister vault,
Square		Earliest cloister vault
Baiae2nd c.Umbrella dome above circular ground plan0.59
1:7.5
Ravenna5th c.Tiled roof
Tomb at Casal de' PazziRome,
Via Nomentana		2nd c.In-circle dome,
Square		ConcretePreform of pendentive dome; hollow space system
PompeiiCone vault Brick and clay Concrete wall shell
Mausoleum of Constantine at the Church of the Holy ApostlesConstantinople4th c.Presumably Rotunda with twelve niches

Half-domes