Rose petals were dropped from the open oculus of the Pantheon on Sunday to celebrate the Pentecost.
The tradition is very ancient, possibly dating back to 609 AD. During the Pentecostal mass, rose petals were dropped from the oculus onto the faithful to symbolize the descent of the Holy Spirit.
At noon on Sunday, the Vigili del Fuoco (firefighters) of Rome, after climbing on top of the Pantheon’s dome (almost 44 meters high), dropped thousands of rose petals as the choir chanted the sequence of Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Watch these videos of the event from previous years:
