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Question: What landmark is 4 km from "THE" Pantheon? Apparently according to the presenter it's the most famous in the world. He checked it on Wikipedia.

At a guess, the Colosseum.

There's a lot of other landmarks in Rome, mind.

It's definitely not The Sydney Opera House though.

This question carried over two nights because it perplexed the ABC radio listeners. That's what I thought spot....I didn't just think..... it I was like?.... of course it's in Italy. The presenter said it's not in Italy?

The other night I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd get up have a drink of water and go back to bed. Didn't happen, so I thought I'd turn on the radio and listen to it until I fall asleep to the dulcet tones of my fellow countrymen....but I turned the radio on during the Quiz.

When I heard it's not in Italy I got out of bed, went to my book cases and began to search through the pages of my history, and art history books. He said "The" Pantheon.

I'll wait for others to guess .

Pantheon means "Temple of all the gods" from the greek

magentaflame wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:41 pm Pantheon means "Temple of all the gods" from the greek

Here's the start of the definition of "pantheon" in the Oxford English Dictionary:

Chiefly Classical History A temple dedicated to all the gods, or where images or other memorials of all the gods of a culture are collected; spec. (usually with capital initial) a large circular temple in Rome.

Other buildings called "The Pantheon" since then have tended to be modelled on the one standing since around 115ce in Rome.

Was he thinking of the Parthenon?

LarsMac wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:06 pm Was he thinking of the Parthenon?

That would make a lot of sense, well done.

What would be 4km from the Parthenon? Pireas harbour at the end of the wall?

LarsMac wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:06 pm Was he thinking of the Parthenon?

That's what the callers and texters were asking him....nope.

spot wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:50 pm

magentaflame wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:41 pm Pantheon means "Temple of all the gods" from the greek

Here's the start of the definition of "pantheon" in the Oxford English Dictionary:

Chiefly Classical History A temple dedicated to all the gods, or where images or other memorials of all the gods of a culture are collected; spec. (usually with capital initial) a large circular temple in Rome.

Other buildings called "The Pantheon" since then have tended to be modelled on the one standing since around 115ce in Rome.

That's how I've known it since high school. There are four Pantheons in Europe apparently. THE Pantheon he's referring to is not in Italy. Or Greece. But " it's the most famous" apparently. It's "THE" most famous.

The copy in London was famous in the 19th century but it was demolished long before I was born.

The questioner clearly wants the answer "Paris", which is bogus because the Paris one is modelled on the Rome original and is extremely less famous unless you happen to be a Chauvinist Frenchman.

[...] the National Constituent Assembly voted in 1791 to transform the Church of Saint Genevieve into a mausoleum for the remains of distinguished French citizens, modelled on the Pantheon in Rome which had been used in this way since the 16th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panth%C3%A9on

spot wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:23 am The copy in London was famous in the 19th century but it was demolished long before I was born.

The questioner clearly wants the answer "Paris", which is bogus because the Paris one is modelled on the Rome original and is extremely less famous unless you happen to be a Chauvinist Frenchman.

[...] the National Constituent Assembly voted in 1791 to transform the Church of Saint Genevieve into a mausoleum for the remains of distinguished French citizens, modelled on the Pantheon in Rome which had been used in this way since the 16th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panth%C3%A9on

Correct! That's exactly what he wanted. I don't know how many lights came up on the 'Overnights ABC' board, but after the answer was given he told everyone to "settle down you're only playing for a fridge magnet" . It was the fact he said he checked "wikipedia" and it's written on Wikipedia THE Pantheon, Paris. Been there twice never heard of it. I don't remember it on any tourist stuff.

I thought I would check with others overseas first though just in case Australians were behind the ball in knowledge of this place. Seems not.

LarsMac wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:06 pm Was he thinking of the Parthenon?

That's what a couple of listeners put to him. I thought it too.

So he was looking for Arc de Triomphe, perhaps?

LarsMac wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:03 pm So he was looking for Arc de Triomphe, perhaps?

I honestly can't remember the answer. I was too caught up in the Pantheon being in Paris. lol

It's a twist of language, I think. The French refer to their most exalted dead as "the pantheon", and they're buried in a building modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. It's what comes of being French I expect.

Well whatever the reason for the question, it infuriated many.