{
  "id": 13172185,
  "title": "From Italy’s modern defence structure to the ancient Pantheon: A reminder of what survives",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/from-italys-modern-defence-structure-to-the-ancient-pantheon-a",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/travel/2026/10/09/from-italys-modern-defence-structure-to-the-ancient-pantheon-a-reminder-of-what-survives/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A five-day trip through Italy's modern defense structure and ancient history concluded with a visit to the Pantheon, a testament to the endurance of the past. The program, organized by Italy's Ministry of Defence for foreign media, took the reporter from the country's joint operations command to its Army Counter-IED Centre of Excellence and Pratica di Mare Air Base, as well as an interview with Defence Minister Guido Crosetto about the nation's role in a changing security landscape. After exploring Rome's streets, fountains, and layers of history, the Pantheon offered a different perspective on the city's enduring legacy. The massive concrete dome, with an internal diameter of about 43 meters, is the largest unreinforced concrete hemispherical dome in the world, and its design accommodates the elements, allowing rain to fall through the same opening it has since AD 609 when the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV to be consecrated as a Christian church. The conversion helped protect the building from the neglect and looting that affected many other ancient Roman structures during the Middle Ages. This preservation through a new purpose highlights how history can survive beyond its original intent, as Rome's ancient columns, ruins, and monuments remain woven into the city's daily life.",
  "summary": "I was in Rome for five days last week, spending much of my time looking at Italy through the lens of defence: military operations, naval capabilities, air power, counter-improvised explosive device expertise and the work behind some of the country’s most important security decisions. Then, at the end of the trip, I found myself standing beneath the dome of the Pantheon, looking up at the oculus…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "From Italy’s modern defence structure to the ancient Pantheon: A reminder of what survives",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/from-italys-modern-defence-structure-to-the-ancient-pantheon-a-13178219",
        "published": "2026-10-09T18:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}