Tragic Incident at Rome’s Pantheon
A Japanese tourist has died after falling from the iconic Pantheon in Rome, leaving his daughter in shock. Morimasa Hibino, 69, lost his balance and fell from the outer wall of the ancient monument in the Italian capital, according to local media reports.
Emergency services had to force a gate open outside of the Roman temple as they rushed inside, before finding the man dead in the ditch. The man was understood to be visiting Rome with his daughter, who told police he fell after being overcome by a sudden illness.
A passerby priest alerted officials, local newspaper la Repubblica reported, after the man is said to have fallen on Friday at around 9:50pm local time. According to police, the man was sitting on the edge of the wall before dropping from the 22-foot wall. Officers have also obtained footage showing the place where the man was sitting, reports say.
History of the Pantheon
The Pantheon – meaning ‘to every god’ – is the most intact of all Roman structures in the Italian capital. It was commissioned as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD. The temple has been in continuous use throughout its history and, since the 7th century, has been used as a Roman Catholic church.
It was built on top of an earlier temple from the reign of Augustus in as far back as 27BC. One of Italy’s most visited monuments, it is famous for its oculus, the hole in its giant dome. Entrance was free until 2023, but there is now a ticketing system costing $5.
More than 4 million tourists visited the site in 2024 with long queues often forming in Piazza della Rotonda outside the monument.
Other Incidents in Rome
It is not the only tragedy to have hit tourists in Rome this year. A 55-year-old woman from Spain died in March after falling from a high wall at the Spanish Steps. In April, Grant Paterson, a 54-year-old Scottish tourist, died after suffering severe burns in a suspected gas explosion in the building he was staying.
He had arrived in the Italian capital a few days prior to the incident and had visited sites including the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum and the Pantheon. There has been a boom in tourism in Rome since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Last year, the city set a record when it saw 22 million arrivals.
Similar Incidents
There have been several other tragic incidents involving tourists in Rome:
- A British tourist was killed in a suspected gas leak at a hotel in the city.
- A British tourist’s Segovia adventure turned fatal due to a tragic fall.
- An American tourist suffered a blood-curdling accident at Rome’s Colosseum while attempting a selfie.
- A British teenager tragically died after leaving a pizza restaurant in Rome last week.
- A thrill-seeking tourist was banned from Rome after his daring leap into the Trevi Fountain.
