Open to the sky
The magic of the Pantheon’s oculus resides in the fact that it is open to the elements so that rain falls inside, as evinced by the central bronze drain which is both beautiful and discreet.
It’s just as well that the Renaissance plan (by Michelangelo, no less) to glaze the oculus came to naught. All the glazing of Andalusian patios has dispelled their magic.
