Pantheon and Piazza della Rotonda in Rome, Italy Mouse Mat

This design features an artwork by the Austrian landscape painter Rudolf von Alt (1812–1905). It shows two of the most impressive architectural wonders of the Italian capital of Rome: the Pantheon and the Piazza della Rotonda. The Pantheon is a former ancient Roman temple and since the year 609 a Catholic church. The Pantheon was first commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of the Emperor Augustus; it was later rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Piazza della Rotonda is a city square which is located in front of the Pantheon; the piazza gets its name from the Pantheon's informal title as the church of Santa Maria Rotonda. Rudolf von Alt's original watercolor was first painted in 1835.