1 00:00:08,267 --> 00:00:12,400 - [Narrator] From ancient temples to towering cathedrals, 2 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,434 humanity's deepest beliefs have given rise 3 00:00:15,434 --> 00:00:19,567 to architectural marvels that defy imagination. 4 00:00:19,567 --> 00:00:21,034 - How on earth is this possible? 5 00:00:21,034 --> 00:00:22,201 - It's the type of building 6 00:00:22,201 --> 00:00:25,267 that inspires movies and fairytales. 7 00:00:25,267 --> 00:00:27,901 - You would not think that it was real. 8 00:00:27,901 --> 00:00:30,967 - [Narrator] Faith, worship, and even fear 9 00:00:30,967 --> 00:00:35,067 have inspired the creation of unbelievable sacred spaces, 10 00:00:35,067 --> 00:00:37,933 each a testament to the power of devotion 11 00:00:37,933 --> 00:00:39,534 and human ingenuity. 12 00:00:40,967 --> 00:00:45,801 - It is the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built. 13 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:48,934 - [Narrator] From the enduring mysteries of the Pantheon. 14 00:00:48,934 --> 00:00:51,467 - How did they raise this gargantuan structure? 15 00:00:51,467 --> 00:00:53,434 - [Narrator] To the gravity defying wonder 16 00:00:53,434 --> 00:00:54,933 of Mont-Saint-Michel. 17 00:00:54,933 --> 00:00:57,867 - It looks like it's literally floating on the water. 18 00:00:57,867 --> 00:00:59,267 - [Narrator] We pull back the curtain 19 00:00:59,267 --> 00:01:02,033 of how ancient builders channeled their reverence 20 00:01:02,033 --> 00:01:03,733 into feats of engineering 21 00:01:03,733 --> 00:01:06,734 that continue to captivate us today. 22 00:01:06,734 --> 00:01:09,634 Pushing the boundaries of what seemed possible 23 00:01:09,634 --> 00:01:11,467 in their quest to honor the divine. 24 00:01:11,467 --> 00:01:13,201 - Tales of a divine visit 25 00:01:13,201 --> 00:01:15,833 hint at the reason the gate survived. 26 00:01:15,833 --> 00:01:17,501 - The Archangel Michael tells him; 27 00:01:17,501 --> 00:01:22,567 you have to go set up a church and monastery on this island. 28 00:01:22,567 --> 00:01:24,033 - It's conversion to Christianity, 29 00:01:24,033 --> 00:01:26,034 and a church is what has saved it. 30 00:01:28,234 --> 00:01:30,967 (uplifting music) 31 00:01:49,767 --> 00:01:51,867 - [Narrator] At the heart of modern Rome 32 00:01:51,867 --> 00:01:54,700 stands an engineering triumph. 33 00:01:54,700 --> 00:01:57,034 A building of unparalleled design. 34 00:01:57,034 --> 00:01:59,800 - You're walking through these sort of narrow, 35 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:01,567 typical modern Roman streets, 36 00:02:01,567 --> 00:02:03,767 and all of a sudden, the Pantheon is just in front of you. 37 00:02:03,767 --> 00:02:06,534 It just sneaks up on you. It's amazing. 38 00:02:06,534 --> 00:02:09,434 - Laying eyes on the Pantheon today 39 00:02:09,434 --> 00:02:11,934 evokes a real sense of wonder. 40 00:02:14,267 --> 00:02:17,734 - It is a stunning architectural work, 41 00:02:17,734 --> 00:02:21,434 a perfect dome with an oculus at the top. 42 00:02:21,434 --> 00:02:22,734 - You are left wondering 43 00:02:22,734 --> 00:02:25,167 how on earth they managed to construct it. 44 00:02:27,501 --> 00:02:30,434 - [Narrator] Nearly two millennia after its construction, 45 00:02:30,434 --> 00:02:33,167 the Pantheon remains unrivaled, 46 00:02:33,167 --> 00:02:37,101 the sole structure of its immense scale and venerable age 47 00:02:37,101 --> 00:02:40,101 to have survived intact into the modern era. 48 00:02:41,233 --> 00:02:42,901 - It is such an advanced structure 49 00:02:42,901 --> 00:02:45,733 that it took centuries for architects 50 00:02:45,733 --> 00:02:47,167 to fully appreciate 51 00:02:47,167 --> 00:02:50,200 and even attempt to replicate anything like it. 52 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,467 - The Pantheon has the largest unreinforced dome 53 00:02:54,467 --> 00:02:56,433 in the history of the world. 54 00:02:56,433 --> 00:02:58,867 - What engineering secrets 55 00:02:58,867 --> 00:03:01,800 have enabled the Pantheon to prevail 56 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,434 while other structures built at the same time 57 00:03:05,434 --> 00:03:07,867 have fallen into ruin? 58 00:03:07,867 --> 00:03:10,400 - How did they raise this massive structure? 59 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,467 - Did these ancient Romans have an advanced knowledge 60 00:03:12,467 --> 00:03:14,000 of math and physics? 61 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,000 - And what inspired the ancient Romans 62 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,934 to construct the Pantheon in the first place? 63 00:03:18,934 --> 00:03:20,834 - Pantheon means all the gods. 64 00:03:20,834 --> 00:03:22,233 So you'd think by its name, 65 00:03:22,233 --> 00:03:25,067 it would be a temple of all the gods. 66 00:03:25,067 --> 00:03:27,767 But it wasn't the normal thing to do, 67 00:03:27,767 --> 00:03:30,067 so it's a bit of a mystery exactly what it was. 68 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:35,167 - In the early 1500s, Michelangelo, 69 00:03:35,167 --> 00:03:37,767 one of the most influential and talented creators 70 00:03:37,767 --> 00:03:39,867 in Western art history, 71 00:03:39,867 --> 00:03:43,334 lays eyes on the Pantheon's dome and is awestruck. 72 00:03:43,334 --> 00:03:47,301 He claims it to be angelic and not of human design. 73 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,700 - [Narrator] Over the course of history, 74 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:54,434 many have tried to emulate the magnificence 75 00:03:54,434 --> 00:03:56,334 of the Pantheon's dome. 76 00:03:56,334 --> 00:04:00,001 - Many modern structures have been inspired by the Pantheon, 77 00:04:00,001 --> 00:04:03,734 including Saint Peter's Basilica, the US Capitol Building, 78 00:04:03,734 --> 00:04:05,534 and the Jefferson Memorial. 79 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,900 - But none have been able to replicate it 80 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:11,867 on a scale of grandeur and size 81 00:04:11,867 --> 00:04:13,567 that we see with the Pantheon. 82 00:04:14,567 --> 00:04:16,500 - The sheer scale and complexity 83 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:18,167 of raising the Pantheon's dome 84 00:04:18,167 --> 00:04:20,867 would have demanded an extraordinary investment 85 00:04:20,867 --> 00:04:24,734 of resources, labor and ingenuity. 86 00:04:24,734 --> 00:04:27,167 Who was responsible for making this happen? 87 00:04:27,167 --> 00:04:29,734 (dramatic music) 88 00:04:29,734 --> 00:04:31,034 - [Narrator] The bronze inscription 89 00:04:31,034 --> 00:04:33,367 adorning the Pantheon's facade 90 00:04:33,367 --> 00:04:34,933 offers an initial clue 91 00:04:34,933 --> 00:04:39,067 towards unraveling the mystery of its true architect. 92 00:04:39,067 --> 00:04:40,667 - Across the front of the Pantheon 93 00:04:40,667 --> 00:04:42,900 is the famous inscription. 94 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:47,934 In English, it says, Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, 95 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,600 three times consul, made this. 96 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,900 - Marcus Agrippa was also important. 97 00:04:53,900 --> 00:04:56,134 He was the consul of Rome, 98 00:04:56,134 --> 00:04:59,300 which meant that he oversaw administrative life, 99 00:04:59,300 --> 00:05:01,701 including the construction of monuments 100 00:05:01,701 --> 00:05:04,967 which would be dedicated to Emperor Augustus. 101 00:05:06,067 --> 00:05:08,300 - [Narrator] In 27 BCE, 102 00:05:08,300 --> 00:05:12,401 Octavian Augustus becomes the first emperor of Rome, 103 00:05:12,401 --> 00:05:15,267 marking the transition from the Roman Republic 104 00:05:15,267 --> 00:05:17,234 to the Roman Empire. 105 00:05:17,234 --> 00:05:20,567 - Julius Caesar had been ruled by a Senate. 106 00:05:20,567 --> 00:05:24,200 Now we have his nephew Augustus, who would succeed him. 107 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:29,300 His legacy was constructing this new administrative rule 108 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:30,467 for the state 109 00:05:30,467 --> 00:05:35,401 in which he, as the ruler, held supreme authority. 110 00:05:36,734 --> 00:05:39,467 - For Augustus, the stakes here are immense. 111 00:05:39,467 --> 00:05:42,100 (dramatic music) 112 00:05:42,100 --> 00:05:45,867 - Augustus comes to power after decades of civil war 113 00:05:45,867 --> 00:05:50,267 and establishes the Pax Romana, the Peace of Rome. 114 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,667 - [Narrator] His rule will be defined 115 00:05:53,667 --> 00:05:56,800 by economic prosperity, stability, 116 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,067 and wide sweeping infrastructure development. 117 00:06:00,067 --> 00:06:04,734 - Augustus tried to bring back traditional Roman values, 118 00:06:04,734 --> 00:06:08,601 and one of the ways that traditional Roman values 119 00:06:08,601 --> 00:06:12,367 were embodied visually was in the architecture of Rome. 120 00:06:14,167 --> 00:06:16,067 - This was the beating heart 121 00:06:16,067 --> 00:06:20,967 of this massive empire built on trade and military might. 122 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:23,267 The structures that were built 123 00:06:23,267 --> 00:06:25,667 would not only serve the needs of Romans 124 00:06:25,667 --> 00:06:28,034 but would also manifest his authority. 125 00:06:29,333 --> 00:06:31,600 - [Narrator] At the heart of Augustus's vision 126 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,767 is the transformation of Rome, 127 00:06:33,767 --> 00:06:35,867 reimagining the ancient capital 128 00:06:35,867 --> 00:06:40,034 as a symbol of imperial grandeur and efficiency. 129 00:06:40,034 --> 00:06:43,533 - There's a famous saying which goes, 130 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:48,200 Augustus found Rome brick and left it marble. 131 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,534 (dramatic music) 132 00:06:50,534 --> 00:06:53,867 - [Narrator] For centuries, scholars and visitors alike 133 00:06:53,867 --> 00:06:57,267 accepted the Pantheon's inscription at face value, 134 00:06:57,267 --> 00:06:59,967 crediting construction of the Pantheon to Agrippa 135 00:06:59,967 --> 00:07:01,967 during Augustus's reign. 136 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:04,034 - We put great importance 137 00:07:04,034 --> 00:07:07,067 on inscriptions found in ancient monuments. 138 00:07:07,067 --> 00:07:09,533 These markings provide crucial information 139 00:07:09,533 --> 00:07:14,033 about the patronage, dating and purpose of the structure. 140 00:07:14,033 --> 00:07:17,534 However, when it comes to the inscription on the Pantheon, 141 00:07:17,534 --> 00:07:19,801 it has done more to confuse. 142 00:07:21,267 --> 00:07:22,900 - [Narrator] This long held assumption 143 00:07:22,900 --> 00:07:26,267 is challenged dramatically in 1892 144 00:07:26,267 --> 00:07:29,467 when new archeological evidence emerges, 145 00:07:29,467 --> 00:07:31,501 revealing a surprising truth. 146 00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:34,934 In April 2020, 147 00:07:34,934 --> 00:07:38,267 a massive sinkhole opens outside the Pantheon, 148 00:07:38,267 --> 00:07:41,067 exposing a hidden archeological clue 149 00:07:41,067 --> 00:07:44,001 buried beneath the city's ancient streets. 150 00:07:46,033 --> 00:07:47,867 - They find ancient Roman paving stones 151 00:07:47,867 --> 00:07:50,267 that date to the time of Agrippa. 152 00:07:50,267 --> 00:07:53,767 - These appear to be the remnants of an earlier structure, 153 00:07:53,767 --> 00:07:55,667 meaning that the Pantheon we see today 154 00:07:55,667 --> 00:07:59,034 is actually a reconstruction built upon the foundations 155 00:07:59,034 --> 00:08:01,001 of an earlier temple. 156 00:08:01,001 --> 00:08:02,801 - [Narrator] Further archeological evidence 157 00:08:02,801 --> 00:08:04,500 and historical record 158 00:08:04,500 --> 00:08:07,334 reveals that Agrippa's Pantheon was destroyed 159 00:08:07,334 --> 00:08:10,434 by a fire around 80 CE. 160 00:08:10,434 --> 00:08:13,000 Emperor Domitian rebuilds it, 161 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,734 only to have it burned down again 162 00:08:14,734 --> 00:08:17,501 in a lightning strike in 110 CE. 163 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,100 The one we see standing today 164 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:26,167 is completed a decade-and-a-half later in 125 CE. 165 00:08:27,267 --> 00:08:28,434 - So if this isn't Agrippa's Pantheon, 166 00:08:28,434 --> 00:08:29,800 then who built the structure 167 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:31,501 that we see in front of us today? 168 00:08:34,967 --> 00:08:39,734 - The building, as it stands now, was built by Hadrian, 169 00:08:39,734 --> 00:08:41,301 a much later emperor. 170 00:08:41,301 --> 00:08:44,834 So why would Hadrian keep the inscription? 171 00:08:45,767 --> 00:08:47,333 - [Narrator] The emperor Hadrian, 172 00:08:47,333 --> 00:08:50,434 one of the most significant leaders of the ancient world, 173 00:08:50,434 --> 00:08:55,101 rules the Roman Empire from 117 to 138 CE. 174 00:08:56,667 --> 00:09:00,167 He would become known as one of the Five Good Emperors, 175 00:09:00,167 --> 00:09:01,801 a term that highlights a time 176 00:09:01,801 --> 00:09:04,767 when Rome was led by capable rulers 177 00:09:04,767 --> 00:09:07,067 who prioritized the empire's wellbeing 178 00:09:07,067 --> 00:09:09,401 over personal gain or dynasty. 179 00:09:12,734 --> 00:09:16,567 - Hadrian's rule is characterized by a shift 180 00:09:16,567 --> 00:09:19,667 from expansion to consolidation. 181 00:09:19,667 --> 00:09:21,567 - He was a prolific builder 182 00:09:21,567 --> 00:09:23,067 and his passion for architecture 183 00:09:23,067 --> 00:09:27,367 led to numerous building projects in Rome 184 00:09:27,367 --> 00:09:29,067 and across the Empire. 185 00:09:29,067 --> 00:09:32,167 - He was someone who saw building as an important dimension 186 00:09:32,167 --> 00:09:37,234 of manifesting imperial power locally. 187 00:09:38,334 --> 00:09:39,500 - By Hadrian giving credit to Agrippa 188 00:09:39,500 --> 00:09:41,101 for his original construction, 189 00:09:41,101 --> 00:09:44,867 this is a throwback to a very prosperous and wonderful time 190 00:09:44,867 --> 00:09:46,133 in the Roman Empire.. 191 00:09:46,133 --> 00:09:48,167 - It conveys the idea of continuity, 192 00:09:48,167 --> 00:09:52,467 continuity in the legitimacy of this imperial rule 193 00:09:52,467 --> 00:09:57,534 from the early Augustan dynasty now to this new dynasty, 194 00:09:58,567 --> 00:09:59,467 of which Hadrian was a member. 195 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:02,901 - [Narrator] The question still remains: 196 00:10:02,901 --> 00:10:04,667 how did the Roman engineers 197 00:10:04,667 --> 00:10:07,200 achieve the seemingly impossible feat 198 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,401 of constructing and raising the Pantheon's massive dome? 199 00:10:12,067 --> 00:10:14,401 - Standing in the middle of the Pantheon 200 00:10:14,401 --> 00:10:19,400 and staring up at the dome not only hurts your neck 201 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,567 but leaves you speechless, 202 00:10:21,567 --> 00:10:26,867 breathless as to the engineering and design skills involved. 203 00:10:27,667 --> 00:10:29,300 - Did the Romans understand the laws 204 00:10:29,300 --> 00:10:33,233 of basic Newtonian physics long before they were defined? 205 00:10:33,233 --> 00:10:35,267 - Did the ancient Romans recognize 206 00:10:35,267 --> 00:10:36,400 that the balance 207 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,300 between weight of the dome itself and its span 208 00:10:39,300 --> 00:10:42,867 are absolutely inextricably linked? 209 00:10:42,867 --> 00:10:46,367 The lighter the dome, the further you can span it. 210 00:10:46,367 --> 00:10:50,567 - One of these hints lie in their unique use of material. 211 00:10:50,567 --> 00:10:52,834 This material not only expands 212 00:10:52,834 --> 00:10:55,067 their engineering capabilities 213 00:10:55,067 --> 00:10:57,034 but helps them create structures 214 00:10:57,034 --> 00:10:59,400 of unprecedented durability. 215 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,267 - The Pantheon is the living embodiment 216 00:11:02,267 --> 00:11:05,734 of the Urbs Aeterna, the Eternal City. 217 00:11:05,734 --> 00:11:08,100 And one of the reasons for its longevity 218 00:11:08,100 --> 00:11:11,567 is a building technique that was so advanced for its time 219 00:11:11,567 --> 00:11:12,934 that, in many ways, 220 00:11:12,934 --> 00:11:17,434 it far surpasses what we use today, Roman concrete. 221 00:11:18,734 --> 00:11:20,034 - [Narrator] For centuries, 222 00:11:20,034 --> 00:11:22,967 scholars and engineers have been captivated 223 00:11:22,967 --> 00:11:26,600 by the extraordinary durability of Roman concrete 224 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,101 while failing to uncover its secrets. 225 00:11:30,467 --> 00:11:33,967 - Modern concrete can break down in as little was 50 years. 226 00:11:33,967 --> 00:11:35,833 But more than a thousand years 227 00:11:35,833 --> 00:11:38,967 after the Western Roman Empire crumbled to dust, 228 00:11:38,967 --> 00:11:42,534 structures like the Pantheon are still standing. 229 00:11:42,534 --> 00:11:44,101 How is this possible? 230 00:11:44,101 --> 00:11:48,267 - The poets came to speak of Rome as the Eternal City 231 00:11:48,267 --> 00:11:50,934 and its architecture was meant to reflect that. 232 00:11:52,967 --> 00:11:57,934 - Why is it taken us over 2000 years to crack the code 233 00:11:59,034 --> 00:12:02,001 on something that the Romans used so widely? 234 00:12:03,567 --> 00:12:04,967 - [Narrator] Researchers had assumed 235 00:12:04,967 --> 00:12:07,767 that the key to the ancient concrete's durability 236 00:12:07,767 --> 00:12:09,834 lay in one ingredient, 237 00:12:10,967 --> 00:12:13,734 a specific type of ash that was described 238 00:12:13,734 --> 00:12:16,201 by architects and historians of that time. 239 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:18,700 - We're starting to understand 240 00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:21,333 what makes Roman concrete so special. 241 00:12:21,333 --> 00:12:24,467 So unlike concrete today, which uses sand, 242 00:12:24,467 --> 00:12:27,034 the Romans used volcanic ash. 243 00:12:27,034 --> 00:12:29,833 And when this volcanic ash was used as a filler 244 00:12:29,833 --> 00:12:31,367 and mixed with lime, 245 00:12:31,367 --> 00:12:34,800 it made the concrete incredibly strong. 246 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,333 - [Narrator] But recent investigations 247 00:12:36,333 --> 00:12:40,300 have unveiled another component in the ancient Roman formula 248 00:12:40,300 --> 00:12:43,167 that enables it to repair itself. 249 00:12:43,167 --> 00:12:47,501 - The lime itself produces a very basic solution, 250 00:12:47,501 --> 00:12:52,301 which leaves calcium hydroxide in water in pores 251 00:12:52,301 --> 00:12:53,667 in the cement itself. 252 00:12:53,667 --> 00:12:58,334 The volcanic ash material has a large content of silica. 253 00:12:59,734 --> 00:13:01,767 Silica is sand, so if you get a crack in it, 254 00:13:01,767 --> 00:13:04,867 what happens is the small amount of liquid water 255 00:13:04,867 --> 00:13:09,067 which contains calcium hydroxide moves into that crack, 256 00:13:09,067 --> 00:13:12,167 some of the silicates react with that calcium hydroxide 257 00:13:12,167 --> 00:13:15,667 to produce more cementitious material again in the crack 258 00:13:15,667 --> 00:13:17,101 and heal it back up. 259 00:13:17,101 --> 00:13:19,934 So what the Romans actually created was a concrete 260 00:13:19,934 --> 00:13:22,334 that's essentially self-healing. 261 00:13:22,334 --> 00:13:27,200 - But how did Roman concrete enable the execution 262 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,501 of the Pantheon's revolutionary design? 263 00:13:31,933 --> 00:13:36,801 The secret is in the strategic use of concrete. 264 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:38,834 - Really what we want to do in domes 265 00:13:38,834 --> 00:13:41,734 is start out with a very thick base 266 00:13:41,734 --> 00:13:43,234 and get thinner as we go up, 267 00:13:43,234 --> 00:13:45,767 because the stresses of the amount of material 268 00:13:45,767 --> 00:13:48,000 that we're actually supporting above 269 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,733 gets less and less as we go up, 270 00:13:49,733 --> 00:13:51,601 so we can have thinner and thinner walls. 271 00:13:51,601 --> 00:13:53,167 We actually get a structure 272 00:13:53,167 --> 00:13:55,400 that's easier to build, is lighter, 273 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:57,167 and is also more resilient 274 00:13:57,167 --> 00:14:00,067 because it doesn't have as much mass to start with. 275 00:14:00,067 --> 00:14:03,567 - There are 140 coffers, which is a recessed square, 276 00:14:03,567 --> 00:14:04,834 in the dome. 277 00:14:04,834 --> 00:14:07,001 They're arranged in five concentric rows. 278 00:14:07,001 --> 00:14:08,300 The coffers in the dome, 279 00:14:08,300 --> 00:14:10,667 they might have been strategically placed 280 00:14:10,667 --> 00:14:14,167 to reduce the material, to lighten that load of that dome. 281 00:14:16,834 --> 00:14:19,100 - [Narrator] Despite these ingenious strategies, 282 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:21,501 a fundamental mystery persists. 283 00:14:22,967 --> 00:14:25,534 How did the ancient Romans raise the colossal dome 284 00:14:25,534 --> 00:14:27,500 to the height at which it stands 285 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:30,501 considering the rudimentary technology of their era? 286 00:14:31,634 --> 00:14:33,167 - Do you build that dome on the ground 287 00:14:33,167 --> 00:14:34,934 and then lift it into place? 288 00:14:34,934 --> 00:14:36,800 Can you lift it up on a large platform 289 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,333 and then remove the platform? 290 00:14:38,333 --> 00:14:40,467 Do you shore it up from the ground 291 00:14:40,467 --> 00:14:41,834 and pour the concrete up high? 292 00:14:41,834 --> 00:14:44,667 Do you build those walls first and put it in place? 293 00:14:44,667 --> 00:14:45,834 There are lots of different ways 294 00:14:45,834 --> 00:14:48,633 that you might approach this. 295 00:14:48,633 --> 00:14:51,667 Which one is the most successful? 296 00:14:51,667 --> 00:14:53,234 I'd really like to know. 297 00:14:55,333 --> 00:14:57,334 - [Narrator] The name Pantheon itself 298 00:14:57,334 --> 00:14:59,167 holds cryptic insights. 299 00:15:00,167 --> 00:15:01,833 - What was the true intention 300 00:15:01,833 --> 00:15:04,234 behind this architectural marvel? 301 00:15:04,234 --> 00:15:09,301 Was it driven by reverence, obedience, or perhaps fear? 302 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,034 - The word Pantheon means all the gods. 303 00:15:13,034 --> 00:15:17,233 It's a bit unusual to dedicate a temple to all the gods, 304 00:15:17,233 --> 00:15:19,734 but the suggestion clearly is there. 305 00:15:19,734 --> 00:15:21,833 And the structure is there too. 306 00:15:21,833 --> 00:15:25,300 The dome meant to reflect the dome of the sky. 307 00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:27,367 And so as a temple, 308 00:15:27,367 --> 00:15:31,334 it was a microcosm of the world, of the universe. 309 00:15:33,567 --> 00:15:34,900 - [Narrator] In ancient Rome, 310 00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:38,567 the line between mortal emperor and divine deity 311 00:15:38,567 --> 00:15:40,334 was often blurred. 312 00:15:40,334 --> 00:15:44,900 - Romulus was the son of the war god Mars. 313 00:15:44,900 --> 00:15:47,400 He was the first king of Rome, 314 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,700 and a legend developed that the site of the Pantheon 315 00:15:51,700 --> 00:15:56,034 was the place where Romulus is deified 316 00:15:56,034 --> 00:15:57,367 and ascends to heaven. 317 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,901 - [Narrator] But although it would become popular later on, 318 00:16:01,901 --> 00:16:04,367 at the time when the original Pantheon was built, 319 00:16:04,367 --> 00:16:07,601 deification of Roman leaders was not a common 320 00:16:07,601 --> 00:16:09,467 or automatic practice. 321 00:16:11,167 --> 00:16:12,401 - Over time, 322 00:16:12,401 --> 00:16:16,134 we find emperors playing upon the symbols of divinity. 323 00:16:16,134 --> 00:16:18,467 The idea that emperors are gods 324 00:16:18,467 --> 00:16:22,634 does gradually penetrate Roman religious culture as well. 325 00:16:22,634 --> 00:16:25,267 - According to one historical source, 326 00:16:25,267 --> 00:16:28,301 Agrippa wanted to put a statue of Augustus 327 00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:33,034 with the statues of the other gods inside the Pantheon, 328 00:16:33,034 --> 00:16:35,267 but Augustus refused, 329 00:16:35,267 --> 00:16:38,134 and so Agrippa put the statue of Augustus 330 00:16:38,134 --> 00:16:42,034 outside the Pantheon itself in the portico out front. 331 00:16:42,034 --> 00:16:46,034 But it still associated Augustus with the gods. 332 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,767 - [Narrator] Hadrian's reconstructed Pantheon 333 00:16:50,767 --> 00:16:53,734 features a captivating architectural element 334 00:16:53,734 --> 00:16:55,467 that provides an alternative perspective 335 00:16:55,467 --> 00:16:59,933 on the building's true function, the oculus. 336 00:16:59,933 --> 00:17:01,667 - The important part about the oculus 337 00:17:01,667 --> 00:17:04,701 is that it needs to be located concentric with the dome, 338 00:17:04,701 --> 00:17:06,467 to ensure that the stresses 339 00:17:06,467 --> 00:17:09,267 that are experienced across the dome are all equal. 340 00:17:09,267 --> 00:17:10,667 It can't be offset. 341 00:17:10,667 --> 00:17:12,267 It really needs to be in that center. 342 00:17:12,267 --> 00:17:15,401 Structurally, the oculus could have been filled in 343 00:17:15,401 --> 00:17:16,700 with concrete material, 344 00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:19,200 but that concrete material would have to be incredibly thin. 345 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:20,800 And so maybe there was constraints 346 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,101 around how thin could they get that concrete 347 00:17:23,101 --> 00:17:26,101 before it was unable to be durable enough. 348 00:17:27,533 --> 00:17:29,867 - [Narrator] Beyond the front doors of the Pantheon, 349 00:17:29,867 --> 00:17:31,667 the nine meter wide opening 350 00:17:31,667 --> 00:17:34,201 stands as the sole source of light. 351 00:17:35,333 --> 00:17:37,734 More than just admitting sunlight, 352 00:17:37,734 --> 00:17:41,267 it traces the sun's journey across the sky. 353 00:17:41,267 --> 00:17:44,767 - One can imagine that walking into the Pantheon 354 00:17:44,767 --> 00:17:46,800 that you would immediately feel 355 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,667 you were brought into an otherworldly space, 356 00:17:50,667 --> 00:17:52,000 because the light 357 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,534 that comes through the oculus during the day 358 00:17:54,534 --> 00:17:56,700 infuses the entire environment 359 00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:59,467 with this very soft, glowing light. 360 00:17:59,467 --> 00:18:03,200 It evokes a otherworldly space 361 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,201 through this play of light and dark. 362 00:18:09,034 --> 00:18:11,334 - [Narrator] Recent research gives further credence 363 00:18:11,334 --> 00:18:13,600 to the suggestion that the Pantheon was constructed 364 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,034 as a sophisticated solar calendar, 365 00:18:17,534 --> 00:18:21,067 marking dates of great significance to the ancient Romans. 366 00:18:21,067 --> 00:18:22,867 - The study draws parallels 367 00:18:22,867 --> 00:18:26,600 between the temple structure and Roman-era sundials. 368 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:28,100 - For the past 2000 years, 369 00:18:28,100 --> 00:18:31,700 if you happen to be in the Pantheon on April 21st, 370 00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:34,067 the anniversary of the founding of Rome, 371 00:18:34,067 --> 00:18:37,234 you're going to pay witness to an incredible spectacle 372 00:18:37,234 --> 00:18:39,767 as light from the oculus comes streaming down, 373 00:18:39,767 --> 00:18:42,933 focused directly on the main entrance. 374 00:18:42,933 --> 00:18:46,933 It not only speaks to the incredible sophistication 375 00:18:46,933 --> 00:18:49,201 of the engineering to even achieve that, 376 00:18:49,201 --> 00:18:52,267 it also shows how much cultural importance 377 00:18:52,267 --> 00:18:54,867 the ancient Romans placed on certain days. 378 00:18:56,933 --> 00:18:59,333 - [Narrator] In the wake of Christianity's rise, 379 00:18:59,333 --> 00:19:03,001 many magnificent temples and monuments of ancient Rome 380 00:19:03,001 --> 00:19:07,367 faced a grim fate of neglect and abandonment. 381 00:19:07,367 --> 00:19:08,867 - After several centuries 382 00:19:08,867 --> 00:19:12,167 of being the center of spiritual life in Rome, 383 00:19:12,167 --> 00:19:15,467 we find it falling into a long period of neglect. 384 00:19:15,467 --> 00:19:20,501 In 609, it's Christianized and turned into a church, 385 00:19:21,267 --> 00:19:22,434 and here again, 386 00:19:22,434 --> 00:19:25,734 it becomes an important center of worship in Rome. 387 00:19:25,734 --> 00:19:27,734 - [Narrator] The shift in religious paradigm 388 00:19:27,734 --> 00:19:28,967 threatens to erase 389 00:19:28,967 --> 00:19:31,834 much of the city's architectural heritage, 390 00:19:31,834 --> 00:19:34,600 leaving many once revered structures vulnerable 391 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:38,401 to the ravages of time and changing cultural values. 392 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:41,001 - In the centuries that followed, 393 00:19:41,001 --> 00:19:44,267 much of the old city of Rome will disappear. 394 00:19:44,267 --> 00:19:47,767 Buildings will be dismantled, recycled into new buildings. 395 00:19:47,767 --> 00:19:50,501 Others will simply disappear underground 396 00:19:50,501 --> 00:19:52,067 but not the Pantheon. 397 00:19:52,067 --> 00:19:56,267 The Pantheon, protected by its new status, will endure. 398 00:19:56,267 --> 00:19:59,100 - What was it about this particular structure 399 00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:01,000 that allowed it to prevail 400 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,834 when other monuments of its time did not? 401 00:20:04,734 --> 00:20:06,500 - [Narrator] The newly restored church 402 00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:10,967 is dedicated as the Church of Saint Mary and all Martyrs. 403 00:20:10,967 --> 00:20:13,867 - The Pantheon remains to this day 404 00:20:13,867 --> 00:20:18,100 the largest unreinforced dome structure in the world. 405 00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:20,901 That itself is a lasting legacy. 406 00:20:20,901 --> 00:20:24,334 Here we are, 2000 years later and it's still standing. 407 00:20:24,334 --> 00:20:25,801 It is still remarkable. 408 00:20:25,801 --> 00:20:28,467 It's a work of innovation in and of itself 409 00:20:28,467 --> 00:20:30,634 that hasn't been replicated. 410 00:20:30,634 --> 00:20:32,667 - We're very lucky to have a building 411 00:20:32,667 --> 00:20:34,833 as unique as the Pantheon. 412 00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:37,467 Regardless of what your beliefs are, 413 00:20:37,467 --> 00:20:39,000 its conversion to Christianity 414 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,334 and a church is really what has saved it 415 00:20:41,334 --> 00:20:43,167 and allowed us to still have access 416 00:20:43,167 --> 00:20:46,633 to such an amazing architectural wonder today. 417 00:20:46,633 --> 00:20:49,001 (gentle music) 418 00:20:49,001 --> 00:20:51,801 - [Narrator] Off the coast of France stands a structure 419 00:20:51,801 --> 00:20:54,501 that seems to defy the very laws of nature. 420 00:20:55,667 --> 00:20:58,334 Reaching skyward in a daring testament 421 00:20:58,334 --> 00:21:01,467 to humanity's ambitions to touch the heavens. 422 00:21:02,467 --> 00:21:03,900 Much like the Pantheon, 423 00:21:03,900 --> 00:21:06,834 it embodies our ancestors' relentless pursuit 424 00:21:06,834 --> 00:21:10,500 of architectural and engineering ingenuity, 425 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:14,567 challenging the limits of human capability and imagination. 426 00:21:17,733 --> 00:21:19,867 (gentle music) 427 00:21:19,867 --> 00:21:22,867 - Mont-Saint-Michel is a sight to behold. 428 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,467 It looks like something straight out of a movie. 429 00:21:28,967 --> 00:21:30,233 - This fantastical site 430 00:21:30,233 --> 00:21:32,901 has been compared to a mythical fortress. 431 00:21:33,733 --> 00:21:34,901 - It's a type of building 432 00:21:34,901 --> 00:21:37,901 that inspires movies and fairytales. 433 00:21:37,901 --> 00:21:41,067 - It has endured for over a thousand years, 434 00:21:41,067 --> 00:21:44,867 defying powerful tides, treacherous quicksand, 435 00:21:44,867 --> 00:21:47,667 harsh weather, and fierce sieges 436 00:21:47,667 --> 00:21:49,900 and still stands proud. 437 00:21:49,900 --> 00:21:52,500 - It looks as much like a fortress 438 00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:54,900 than it does like a monastery. 439 00:21:54,900 --> 00:21:59,901 - What we see today reflects over a thousand years 440 00:22:00,700 --> 00:22:02,834 of construction and renovation. 441 00:22:04,233 --> 00:22:05,967 - [Narrator] While Mont-Saint-Michel 442 00:22:05,967 --> 00:22:10,034 has captivated imaginations with its legends and mysticism, 443 00:22:10,034 --> 00:22:13,967 the true wonder lies in the still unanswered questions 444 00:22:13,967 --> 00:22:17,434 surrounding the very real construction and endurance 445 00:22:17,434 --> 00:22:19,134 of this wonder of the West. 446 00:22:20,367 --> 00:22:24,134 - How did these medieval builders erect this abbey 447 00:22:24,134 --> 00:22:27,500 on such a narrow pile of rock? 448 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:30,034 Why the complete rehauling 449 00:22:30,034 --> 00:22:33,234 of the island's defensive structures, 450 00:22:33,234 --> 00:22:38,301 and how did this incredible structure end up so isolated 451 00:22:39,134 --> 00:22:41,134 out in the middle of the sea? 452 00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:47,967 - [Narrator] According to legend, 453 00:22:47,967 --> 00:22:51,134 the island's transformation into a place of worship 454 00:22:51,134 --> 00:22:55,767 begins with a divine encounter in the year 708 CE, 455 00:22:55,767 --> 00:22:59,934 when the bishop Aubert is visited by the Archangel Michael, 456 00:22:59,934 --> 00:23:01,634 a celestial attendant 457 00:23:01,634 --> 00:23:04,801 associated with courage and protection. 458 00:23:06,867 --> 00:23:09,367 - According to popular tradition, in 708, 459 00:23:09,367 --> 00:23:13,167 Bishop Aubert is visited by the Archangel Michael, 460 00:23:13,167 --> 00:23:14,934 and the Archangel Michael tells him, 461 00:23:14,934 --> 00:23:19,367 "You have to go set up a church and monastery 462 00:23:19,367 --> 00:23:21,267 on this island." 463 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,800 And Aubert wakes up and he thinks, 464 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,700 "Well, that was just a dream," 465 00:23:26,700 --> 00:23:28,367 and he doesn't do anything about it. 466 00:23:30,067 --> 00:23:33,167 Three times the Archangel Michael supposedly visits Aubert. 467 00:23:33,167 --> 00:23:37,967 - After three visions, he pokes Aubert in the head, 468 00:23:37,967 --> 00:23:40,434 leaving a hole in his skull. 469 00:23:41,734 --> 00:23:43,967 This is enough to convince the bishop, 470 00:23:43,967 --> 00:23:47,201 and he resolves to build the church. 471 00:23:49,867 --> 00:23:52,967 - On October 16th, 709, 472 00:23:52,967 --> 00:23:56,301 Bishop Aubert completes and consecrates the church, 473 00:23:56,301 --> 00:23:59,034 marking the official founding of what we now know 474 00:23:59,034 --> 00:24:00,801 as Mont-Saint-Michel. 475 00:24:02,001 --> 00:24:06,034 As the story goes, Aubert dies just over a decade later, 476 00:24:06,034 --> 00:24:07,701 and his remains are interred 477 00:24:07,701 --> 00:24:09,867 beneath the oratory he established. 478 00:24:10,867 --> 00:24:13,667 After a millennium of expansion and change, 479 00:24:13,667 --> 00:24:18,934 in 1792, a man claims to possess the ancient bishop's skull, 480 00:24:19,567 --> 00:24:21,100 marked with the divine wound 481 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:23,434 inflicted by the Archangel Michael. 482 00:24:24,567 --> 00:24:26,934 Today, the skull is on full display 483 00:24:26,934 --> 00:24:28,934 in the nearby town of Avranches. 484 00:24:31,100 --> 00:24:33,167 But could it actually belong to Aubert? 485 00:24:34,167 --> 00:24:36,567 While believers maintain this tale, 486 00:24:36,567 --> 00:24:40,700 some skeptics suggest it may be the head of someone else, 487 00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:42,333 the prominent hole showing evidence 488 00:24:42,333 --> 00:24:46,501 of early medical procedures rather than a holy encounter. 489 00:24:49,067 --> 00:24:52,067 - Stories like Aubert being visited by the Archangel Michael 490 00:24:52,067 --> 00:24:54,067 are actually incredibly common. 491 00:24:54,067 --> 00:24:56,967 It follows a tradition of hagiography. 492 00:24:56,967 --> 00:25:00,800 Hagiography are the stories that are written about saints, 493 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,867 and it's where we get superheroes of sorts. 494 00:25:03,867 --> 00:25:06,901 They have powers that are bestowed upon them by God. 495 00:25:08,167 --> 00:25:11,467 A founding of an important monastery or church 496 00:25:11,467 --> 00:25:14,034 always has much more impact, 497 00:25:14,034 --> 00:25:18,467 if it's associated somehow with a superpower of sorts, 498 00:25:18,467 --> 00:25:22,633 somehow with a saint, somehow with an intervention by God. 499 00:25:22,633 --> 00:25:25,334 It makes the site all the more holy. 500 00:25:25,334 --> 00:25:26,967 - [Narrator] With no physical remains 501 00:25:26,967 --> 00:25:30,300 of Aubert's original structure existing today, 502 00:25:30,300 --> 00:25:34,534 does the tale of his hand-built church hold any truth? 503 00:25:34,534 --> 00:25:36,501 - Does the church really exist? 504 00:25:36,501 --> 00:25:37,834 If it were to be uncovered, 505 00:25:37,834 --> 00:25:39,800 what could it reveal about the island? 506 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,533 (dramatic music) 507 00:25:43,533 --> 00:25:45,000 - [Narrator] In the 2000s, 508 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,001 the first ever analysis of bricks 509 00:25:47,001 --> 00:25:49,401 from the chapel Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre 510 00:25:49,401 --> 00:25:53,567 hopes to reveal fresh insight into Aubert's original shrine 511 00:25:53,567 --> 00:25:56,467 more than a thousand years after it was erected. 512 00:25:57,833 --> 00:25:59,634 - The goal is to date this chapel 513 00:25:59,634 --> 00:26:02,067 to see if it is in fact the original. 514 00:26:05,234 --> 00:26:06,767 - [Narrator] Employing a trifecta 515 00:26:06,767 --> 00:26:09,200 of cutting-edge scientific techniques, 516 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,534 researchers delve into the secrets of the ancient structure. 517 00:26:13,733 --> 00:26:16,367 Analyzing approximately 100 bricks, 518 00:26:16,367 --> 00:26:18,934 their results promise to shed new lights 519 00:26:18,934 --> 00:26:22,934 on the secret past of the chapel Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre. 520 00:26:23,901 --> 00:26:25,801 - We look at what the bricks are made of, 521 00:26:25,801 --> 00:26:28,034 and then we can match that with historical record 522 00:26:28,034 --> 00:26:31,134 to try to marry up what time period they were made. 523 00:26:32,833 --> 00:26:34,233 - [Narrator] The results indicate 524 00:26:34,233 --> 00:26:36,701 that the chapel was constructed in two phases 525 00:26:36,701 --> 00:26:38,534 during the 10th century, 526 00:26:38,534 --> 00:26:42,201 one part in the first half and one in the second. 527 00:26:43,634 --> 00:26:46,800 - One of the problems when historians or archeologists 528 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,201 are confronted with a structure 529 00:26:48,201 --> 00:26:51,167 is that it has changed many times over the years, 530 00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:53,500 and when we're trying to reconstruct what it was like 531 00:26:53,500 --> 00:26:54,833 at any one period, 532 00:26:54,833 --> 00:26:56,167 we're often left 533 00:26:56,167 --> 00:26:59,033 with a very incomplete archeological record. 534 00:26:59,033 --> 00:27:02,267 Pieces of old buildings are reused in new buildings. 535 00:27:02,267 --> 00:27:04,434 That's where we need to turn to documentary evidence. 536 00:27:04,434 --> 00:27:06,901 And so that's where historians play a role, 537 00:27:06,901 --> 00:27:08,900 because we'll be going through the archives 538 00:27:08,900 --> 00:27:10,301 looking for clues 539 00:27:10,301 --> 00:27:12,867 that there was already Christian monastic activity 540 00:27:12,867 --> 00:27:13,801 happening there. 541 00:27:16,567 --> 00:27:18,867 - [Narrator] A stark contrast to the humble origins 542 00:27:18,867 --> 00:27:20,933 of Aubert's original church, 543 00:27:20,933 --> 00:27:23,234 the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel towers 544 00:27:23,234 --> 00:27:26,034 approximately 80 meters above sea level. 545 00:27:27,933 --> 00:27:31,733 Atop the Mont summit sits the transept crossing, 546 00:27:31,733 --> 00:27:33,900 the central point of the structure 547 00:27:33,900 --> 00:27:37,901 representing the intersection of Earth and Divinity. 548 00:27:37,901 --> 00:27:40,934 - One of the responsibilities of the church as a whole 549 00:27:40,934 --> 00:27:45,567 was to make them both love and fear God at the same time, 550 00:27:45,567 --> 00:27:47,567 and there's no better way to do that 551 00:27:47,567 --> 00:27:49,467 than with impressive architecture. 552 00:27:49,467 --> 00:27:52,300 So the whole Gothic architecture movement 553 00:27:52,300 --> 00:27:55,134 is really a chance to communicate 554 00:27:55,134 --> 00:27:58,200 to the lowest peasant and the highest noble 555 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,367 that God lives among us here, 556 00:28:01,367 --> 00:28:04,034 and we all need to be better Christians. 557 00:28:05,967 --> 00:28:08,967 - [Narrator] Situated at such a steep elevation, however, 558 00:28:08,967 --> 00:28:12,901 the transept crossing is a daring architectural gamble. 559 00:28:13,967 --> 00:28:16,600 Not only is this the symbolic heart of the abbey, 560 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,000 but it is vital 561 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,434 for distributing the weight of the church structure. 562 00:28:21,601 --> 00:28:23,100 - Adding to the challenge is the fact 563 00:28:23,100 --> 00:28:26,533 that this was built on essentially a precipice of rock. 564 00:28:26,533 --> 00:28:29,667 It makes you wonder how did they get the labor force 565 00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:30,600 to Mont-Saint-Michel? 566 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,267 How did they get their supplies 567 00:28:32,267 --> 00:28:35,934 and materials needed to build and construct this building? 568 00:28:37,967 --> 00:28:39,134 - [Narrator] With the potential 569 00:28:39,134 --> 00:28:41,634 for catastrophic failure looming large, 570 00:28:41,634 --> 00:28:45,634 one must ponder what compelling force or profound belief 571 00:28:45,634 --> 00:28:47,034 would drive the builders 572 00:28:47,034 --> 00:28:50,467 to undertake such a perilous and ambitious project. 573 00:28:52,333 --> 00:28:53,867 - Pilgrimages happen 574 00:28:53,867 --> 00:28:57,133 because Christians want to get in close proximity 575 00:28:57,133 --> 00:29:00,467 to the relics of a holy person, a saint. 576 00:29:00,467 --> 00:29:02,834 - To this day, the Benedictines in the abbey 577 00:29:02,834 --> 00:29:05,367 claimed to have the skull of Bishop Aubert. 578 00:29:05,367 --> 00:29:07,734 - Having an important saint in your monastery 579 00:29:07,734 --> 00:29:09,967 can be a real moneymaker in the Middle Ages, 580 00:29:09,967 --> 00:29:13,001 because these people are essentially paying to be there. 581 00:29:13,001 --> 00:29:16,467 And Mont-Saint-Michel was really the second largest site 582 00:29:16,467 --> 00:29:17,867 of pilgrimage in Europe 583 00:29:17,867 --> 00:29:19,933 for a good period of the Middle Ages. 584 00:29:19,933 --> 00:29:24,567 - It attracts scholars, artists, musicians and pilgrims 585 00:29:24,567 --> 00:29:26,334 from across the continent. 586 00:29:27,767 --> 00:29:31,767 - [Narrator] In 1060, Italian architect William De Volpiano 587 00:29:31,767 --> 00:29:34,034 is chosen to build the main church 588 00:29:34,034 --> 00:29:35,934 of the new Benedictine abbey. 589 00:29:37,167 --> 00:29:39,233 - So when a monastic reformer like De Volpiano 590 00:29:39,233 --> 00:29:42,000 is traveling around the continent and making these changes, 591 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:43,400 he's not unusual. 592 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,434 He is part of a larger trend of what's happening 593 00:29:45,434 --> 00:29:47,101 in the 11th and 12th century. 594 00:29:47,101 --> 00:29:49,767 It's this desire to standardize monasticism 595 00:29:49,767 --> 00:29:51,234 and make it better, 596 00:29:51,234 --> 00:29:54,401 desire to experiment with new forms of architecture. 597 00:29:54,401 --> 00:29:56,733 And that's what's happening 598 00:29:56,733 --> 00:29:58,734 when we come to Mont-Saint-Michel. 599 00:29:58,734 --> 00:30:01,133 We have an effort to join in 600 00:30:01,133 --> 00:30:04,401 in that larger trend that's happening to better the site. 601 00:30:05,934 --> 00:30:08,234 - [Narrator] Using modern advanced technologies 602 00:30:08,234 --> 00:30:09,967 like 3D scanning, 603 00:30:09,967 --> 00:30:13,501 scientists are still uncovering exactly how he did this. 604 00:30:15,434 --> 00:30:17,101 These ongoing studies 605 00:30:17,101 --> 00:30:20,100 reveal labyrinths of concealed passageways 606 00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:23,100 and previously unknown crypts. 607 00:30:23,100 --> 00:30:26,200 But the key to erecting the majestic Benedictine church 608 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,434 atop Mont-Saint-Michel lay in four crucial ones. 609 00:30:32,334 --> 00:30:34,867 - It is built on four crypts, which is highly unusual, 610 00:30:34,867 --> 00:30:38,067 and these are intended to serve as foundations 611 00:30:38,067 --> 00:30:41,700 on what is essentially a very precarious foundation 612 00:30:41,700 --> 00:30:42,900 in this region. 613 00:30:42,900 --> 00:30:47,067 - This is a dauntingly small rock bed, 614 00:30:47,067 --> 00:30:50,800 only about ten meters in length. 615 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,767 - While this is a really narrow site to build on, 616 00:30:53,767 --> 00:30:55,834 the best thing about it is that it's rock. 617 00:30:57,201 --> 00:30:59,534 There are some challenges with working on rock. 618 00:30:59,534 --> 00:31:01,734 Sometimes the rock might be quite an uneven surface 619 00:31:01,734 --> 00:31:03,834 and you need to smooth that out. 620 00:31:03,834 --> 00:31:06,567 - We kind of have to flatten the top of the hill off, 621 00:31:06,567 --> 00:31:08,167 but we don't have the technology 622 00:31:08,167 --> 00:31:10,934 to actually take the top of the hill off. 623 00:31:10,934 --> 00:31:14,501 So what we do is we make small, flat areas 624 00:31:14,501 --> 00:31:17,167 by cutting away the granite, 625 00:31:17,167 --> 00:31:21,100 and then we place a portion of our foundation there, 626 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:24,500 and then we go up a little bit and cut another flat spot 627 00:31:24,500 --> 00:31:26,334 into the rock and repeat that. 628 00:31:26,334 --> 00:31:29,833 And then between each of those flat areas, 629 00:31:29,833 --> 00:31:33,234 we start building these vaulted arches. 630 00:31:33,234 --> 00:31:36,567 And we keep building vaulted arches upward 631 00:31:36,567 --> 00:31:38,467 until we flatten the hilltop. 632 00:31:38,467 --> 00:31:41,967 And then we can build our structure up from there. 633 00:31:41,967 --> 00:31:45,167 - The layout and design of these crypts is carefully planned 634 00:31:45,167 --> 00:31:47,734 to align with the structures above them. 635 00:31:47,734 --> 00:31:49,967 - We really need, with large structures, 636 00:31:49,967 --> 00:31:54,467 the ability to divide the weight and load of that building 637 00:31:54,467 --> 00:31:56,167 over a large area. 638 00:31:56,167 --> 00:31:58,134 And that's what the crypts are doing. 639 00:31:58,134 --> 00:32:00,567 Clearly these people who are designing 640 00:32:00,567 --> 00:32:02,067 and building this structure 641 00:32:02,067 --> 00:32:07,067 recognize the need to move those loads and divide the loads 642 00:32:08,067 --> 00:32:09,634 over the largest surface area of the hill 643 00:32:09,634 --> 00:32:11,034 that we possibly can. 644 00:32:12,300 --> 00:32:15,000 - [Narrator] Mont-Saint-Michel's battle scarred walls 645 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,834 reveal a fortress fortified by necessity. 646 00:32:18,834 --> 00:32:21,234 - When we look at the archeological evidence 647 00:32:21,234 --> 00:32:24,200 around the development of the structure 648 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:25,934 on Mont-Saint-Michel over time, 649 00:32:25,934 --> 00:32:28,801 it clearly becomes increasingly more fortress-like. 650 00:32:28,801 --> 00:32:30,867 - During the 13th and 14th centuries, 651 00:32:30,867 --> 00:32:33,534 the heart of the village was situated at the top. 652 00:32:33,534 --> 00:32:35,767 But over time, that village 653 00:32:35,767 --> 00:32:38,000 has migrated down to the bottom of the mountain, 654 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:39,834 which is where we see it today. 655 00:32:39,834 --> 00:32:43,567 - Mont-Saint-Michel was itself serving a political 656 00:32:43,567 --> 00:32:45,933 as well as a religious purpose, 657 00:32:45,933 --> 00:32:49,334 so that structure was necessary to be a place of safety 658 00:32:49,334 --> 00:32:50,667 for those around them. 659 00:32:50,667 --> 00:32:52,833 This was a purpose that we find 660 00:32:52,833 --> 00:32:56,001 with many other religious institutions as well at this time. 661 00:32:56,001 --> 00:32:58,500 It's not uncommon to find a monastery 662 00:32:58,500 --> 00:33:00,967 that looks more like a fortress in some cases 663 00:33:00,967 --> 00:33:03,433 than it does like a monastery. 664 00:33:03,433 --> 00:33:06,133 (dramatic music) 665 00:33:06,133 --> 00:33:08,300 - [Narrator] Captain Louis d'Estouteville 666 00:33:08,300 --> 00:33:11,733 stands triumphant atop Mont-Saint-Michel, 667 00:33:11,733 --> 00:33:13,567 having just vanquished his enemies 668 00:33:13,567 --> 00:33:15,534 against overwhelming odds. 669 00:33:16,467 --> 00:33:18,634 - In the 15th century, 670 00:33:18,634 --> 00:33:22,401 Mont-Saint-Michel comes under a siege 671 00:33:22,401 --> 00:33:24,134 that would last decades. 672 00:33:25,967 --> 00:33:27,567 According to legend, 673 00:33:27,567 --> 00:33:30,634 the sands around the fortress 674 00:33:30,634 --> 00:33:33,967 are stained red with their blood. 675 00:33:34,734 --> 00:33:37,801 This is the Hundred Years' War. 676 00:33:39,801 --> 00:33:41,433 - The Hundred Years' War is a conflict 677 00:33:41,433 --> 00:33:42,700 that at least gets started 678 00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:45,400 because of a dynastic dispute in France. 679 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,334 But it's also really about the territorial ambitions 680 00:33:48,334 --> 00:33:49,300 of both countries. 681 00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:51,133 For the better part of 100 years, 682 00:33:51,133 --> 00:33:53,801 these two countries will go to war with one another. 683 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:57,534 - [Narrator] Due to its proximity to the border 684 00:33:57,534 --> 00:33:59,667 between Normandy and Brittany, 685 00:33:59,667 --> 00:34:01,867 the stronghold became a key location 686 00:34:01,867 --> 00:34:04,534 in this century-long conflict. 687 00:34:04,534 --> 00:34:05,967 - During the Hundred Years' War, 688 00:34:05,967 --> 00:34:08,701 it marked an important stronghold for the French, 689 00:34:08,701 --> 00:34:10,334 one that they maintain throughout the war, 690 00:34:10,334 --> 00:34:12,533 even when the English were at their highest point, 691 00:34:12,533 --> 00:34:16,334 when they had routed French forces in many other locations, 692 00:34:16,334 --> 00:34:19,134 Mont-Saint-Michel remained impenetrable. 693 00:34:21,734 --> 00:34:24,200 - We do have one reminder of those efforts, 694 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,933 and that is in two bombard cannons that they left behind, 695 00:34:27,933 --> 00:34:30,901 which are now affectionately known as Les Michelettes. 696 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:36,201 - [Narrator] In the 19th century, 697 00:34:36,201 --> 00:34:39,800 renowned French writer and poet Victor Hugo 698 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,967 lays eyes upon Mont-Saint-Michel. 699 00:34:42,967 --> 00:34:45,401 - Victor Hugo had gone to Mont-Saint-Michel 700 00:34:45,401 --> 00:34:47,001 hoping for inspiration, 701 00:34:47,001 --> 00:34:50,301 but instead what he found was utterly shocking. 702 00:34:51,867 --> 00:34:55,034 - [Narrator] Hugo describes Mont-Saint-Michel: 703 00:34:55,034 --> 00:34:59,633 "Around as far as the eye can reach, infinite space. 704 00:34:59,633 --> 00:35:04,400 The blue horizon of the sea, the green horizon of the land. 705 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:09,434 Clouds, air, liberty, birds in full flight. 706 00:35:10,433 --> 00:35:12,001 Ships with all sails set. 707 00:35:13,433 --> 00:35:15,267 And then all at once 708 00:35:15,267 --> 00:35:17,834 on the top of an old wall above our heads, 709 00:35:17,834 --> 00:35:21,801 through a barred window, a pale face of a prisoner. 710 00:35:23,033 --> 00:35:27,867 I have never felt so strongly as here the cruel antithesis 711 00:35:28,767 --> 00:35:30,801 which men sometimes mix with nature." 712 00:35:31,734 --> 00:35:35,267 - This once great medieval cultural center 713 00:35:35,267 --> 00:35:40,334 had been reduced to a poorly-kept, brutal prison. 714 00:35:41,500 --> 00:35:43,000 It was something that affected him profoundly, 715 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,400 and something that he vowed to change. 716 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:50,100 - How did this site of profound spiritual importance 717 00:35:50,100 --> 00:35:54,701 become a place of confinement and punishment? 718 00:35:54,701 --> 00:35:56,167 - In the late 15th century, 719 00:35:56,167 --> 00:35:59,234 the French King Louis the XI-th figures out 720 00:35:59,234 --> 00:36:01,101 that actually it's a great location 721 00:36:01,101 --> 00:36:02,767 to send political prisoners. 722 00:36:02,767 --> 00:36:05,767 - Many of the same physical characteristics 723 00:36:05,767 --> 00:36:08,267 that made it a functioning 724 00:36:08,267 --> 00:36:11,001 and long living Benedictine community 725 00:36:11,001 --> 00:36:14,167 also lent itself to being a prison later on. 726 00:36:16,167 --> 00:36:18,933 First of all, heavily fortified walls. 727 00:36:18,933 --> 00:36:22,567 It was very difficult to access, especially at high tide, 728 00:36:22,567 --> 00:36:25,333 and that meant it was hard to leave. 729 00:36:25,333 --> 00:36:28,834 Internally, it's structured in terms of cells 730 00:36:28,834 --> 00:36:31,067 that would already have had built in chambers 731 00:36:31,067 --> 00:36:33,667 in which the monks would have lived. 732 00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:35,133 So in that sense, 733 00:36:35,133 --> 00:36:40,167 it was an easy way to use existing institutions. 734 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,167 - Famously, Louis the XI-th even designed a type of cage 735 00:36:45,167 --> 00:36:47,734 that was put into use at Mont-Saint-Michel. 736 00:36:47,734 --> 00:36:52,500 It was a metal box where prisoners would be locked inside, 737 00:36:52,500 --> 00:36:55,334 and it was soundproof and they'd be hung from the ceilings. 738 00:36:55,334 --> 00:36:58,067 - This soundproof contraption cut off the prisoner 739 00:36:58,067 --> 00:36:59,933 from all human contact, 740 00:36:59,933 --> 00:37:02,967 serving as a severe form of confinement 741 00:37:02,967 --> 00:37:05,367 and psychological torment. 742 00:37:05,367 --> 00:37:07,800 - We're used to experience the world around us 743 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,233 through our senses. 744 00:37:09,233 --> 00:37:11,701 Now, you put somebody in this cage 745 00:37:11,701 --> 00:37:14,067 where you can't hear or sense anything 746 00:37:14,067 --> 00:37:15,367 from the inside of it, 747 00:37:15,367 --> 00:37:16,833 you're cut out from the world around you. 748 00:37:16,833 --> 00:37:18,567 This is probably as close as you can get 749 00:37:18,567 --> 00:37:21,667 to simulating this feeling of no longer being alive, 750 00:37:21,667 --> 00:37:23,401 no longer being part of the world. 751 00:37:25,900 --> 00:37:28,367 - [Narrator] Adding to this profound isolation, 752 00:37:28,367 --> 00:37:31,667 Mont-Saint-Michel today boasts some of the highest tides 753 00:37:31,667 --> 00:37:33,134 in continental Europe. 754 00:37:34,167 --> 00:37:35,701 - You know, at times it's an island. 755 00:37:35,701 --> 00:37:38,200 At times, it's surrounded by quicksand. 756 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,167 - [Narrator] But, has it always been this way? 757 00:37:44,867 --> 00:37:47,667 Ancient texts reveal a legend 758 00:37:47,667 --> 00:37:49,234 that might unlock the secrets 759 00:37:49,234 --> 00:37:52,201 of the tidal island's geological past. 760 00:37:53,333 --> 00:37:55,901 - The story details that the Mont's surroundings 761 00:37:55,901 --> 00:38:00,067 were once part of a dense and expansive forest, 762 00:38:00,067 --> 00:38:02,133 home to a thriving village 763 00:38:02,133 --> 00:38:04,301 that lived in harmony with nature. 764 00:38:05,801 --> 00:38:08,100 After a great sin is committed by the villagers, 765 00:38:08,100 --> 00:38:10,700 a tidal wave destroys the forest, 766 00:38:10,700 --> 00:38:13,467 submerging it beneath the sea. 767 00:38:13,467 --> 00:38:17,801 - The tide came in, washed the forest and the village away. 768 00:38:17,801 --> 00:38:19,734 And from that point onward, 769 00:38:19,734 --> 00:38:22,234 Mont-Saint-Michel is the way that we know it now, 770 00:38:22,234 --> 00:38:25,967 surrounded by a turbulent ocean, alone in its isolation. 771 00:38:28,367 --> 00:38:30,134 - [Narrator] While the enchanting story 772 00:38:30,134 --> 00:38:32,767 has been passed down through the ages, 773 00:38:32,767 --> 00:38:35,434 historical and geographical evidence suggests 774 00:38:35,434 --> 00:38:39,133 it may be more rooted in folklore than fact, 775 00:38:39,133 --> 00:38:42,433 leaving the true origins of Mont-Saint-Michel's landscape 776 00:38:42,433 --> 00:38:43,934 shrouded in mystery. 777 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:50,133 Throughout history, the purpose and legacy of the structure 778 00:38:50,133 --> 00:38:54,034 is rewritten with each wave that crashes against its shore. 779 00:38:55,134 --> 00:38:56,800 - Now the monastery doesn't end then. 780 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:58,467 It continues, they're concurrent. 781 00:38:58,467 --> 00:39:00,133 We have the royal prison, 782 00:39:00,133 --> 00:39:01,967 and we have the monastery. 783 00:39:01,967 --> 00:39:04,800 But over time, those things begin to change. 784 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:06,200 By the time we get to the French Revolution, 785 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:08,533 there's only a handful of monks there. 786 00:39:08,533 --> 00:39:10,967 The revolutionary government that comes to power in France 787 00:39:10,967 --> 00:39:13,034 with the French Revolution, of course, puts an end 788 00:39:13,034 --> 00:39:14,867 to all monasteries in France, 789 00:39:14,867 --> 00:39:17,334 and the prison now takes on a whole new form. 790 00:39:17,334 --> 00:39:21,300 It's essentially the early modern equivalent of Alcatraz. 791 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:24,200 - And by 1863, 792 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:29,301 some 14,000 prisoners had passed by Mont-Saint-Michel. 793 00:39:33,034 --> 00:39:38,101 Their very experience would be utterly discombobulating. 794 00:39:38,633 --> 00:39:39,833 On the one hand, 795 00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:42,700 they're living in horrid conditions, 796 00:39:42,700 --> 00:39:45,700 suffering torture and punishment, 797 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:50,967 yet amid the most beautiful, awe inspiring surroundings. 798 00:39:55,033 --> 00:39:57,434 - [Narrator] Victor Hugo's visit to Mont-Saint-Michel 799 00:39:57,434 --> 00:39:59,867 impacts him profoundly. 800 00:39:59,867 --> 00:40:03,034 He is inspired, along with other notable figures, 801 00:40:03,034 --> 00:40:05,667 to campaign for the monument's preservation 802 00:40:05,667 --> 00:40:08,533 and end its use as a prison. 803 00:40:08,533 --> 00:40:11,567 In 1874, Mont-Saint-Michel 804 00:40:11,567 --> 00:40:13,867 is converted to a protected site 805 00:40:13,867 --> 00:40:17,201 and designated as a historical monument in France. 806 00:40:22,901 --> 00:40:26,200 Just as Mont-Saint-Michel was shaped by devotion, 807 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,900 an ancient sentinel was preserved by it. 808 00:40:29,900 --> 00:40:33,367 These structures, born of different eras and purposes, 809 00:40:33,367 --> 00:40:35,533 share a common thread, 810 00:40:35,533 --> 00:40:39,901 the enduring power of human conviction to shape our world. 811 00:40:43,034 --> 00:40:45,867 Towering above the German town of Trier 812 00:40:45,867 --> 00:40:49,167 stands an imposing remnant of the Roman Empire. 813 00:40:51,267 --> 00:40:52,800 - The Porta Nigra 814 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,501 stands as a remarkably well-preserved testament 815 00:40:55,501 --> 00:40:57,734 to Roman engineering. 816 00:40:57,734 --> 00:41:00,367 It's the largest surviving Roman city gate 817 00:41:00,367 --> 00:41:01,734 north of the Alps. 818 00:41:01,734 --> 00:41:03,333 Its four-story structure 819 00:41:03,333 --> 00:41:07,267 showcases the architectural mastery of ancient Rome. 820 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,400 - [Narrator] But for centuries, 821 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:12,101 details of the gate's past 822 00:41:12,101 --> 00:41:14,934 have remained cloaked in obscurity. 823 00:41:14,934 --> 00:41:16,634 - When you look at the Porta Nigra, 824 00:41:16,634 --> 00:41:18,834 it's not like your prototypical gate. 825 00:41:20,767 --> 00:41:23,100 It's a much more fierce looking structure, 826 00:41:23,100 --> 00:41:25,767 and it has the nickname of the Black Gate. 827 00:41:25,767 --> 00:41:28,434 - Porta Nigra is one of four city gates 828 00:41:28,434 --> 00:41:30,267 surrounding Trier at the time, 829 00:41:30,267 --> 00:41:33,234 and one of many across the Roman Empire. 830 00:41:33,234 --> 00:41:35,934 So why is it the only one still standing? 831 00:41:37,767 --> 00:41:39,767 Tales of a divine visit 832 00:41:39,767 --> 00:41:43,167 hint at the real reason the gate survived. 833 00:41:43,167 --> 00:41:44,801 - There's a story of a monk 834 00:41:44,801 --> 00:41:46,600 that lived within the walls of the Porta Nigra. 835 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:47,934 And this is part of the reason 836 00:41:47,934 --> 00:41:49,901 why we think it still stands today. 837 00:41:51,601 --> 00:41:54,867 But who is this monk and where does the story come from? 838 00:41:56,734 --> 00:41:58,200 - The Porta Nigra 839 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,567 is a very interesting example of these Roman gates 840 00:42:00,567 --> 00:42:02,133 that were massive. 841 00:42:02,133 --> 00:42:04,334 They were intended to be impressive. 842 00:42:05,867 --> 00:42:09,800 - These are vital components of ancient infrastructure 843 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:11,834 and urban administration. 844 00:42:11,834 --> 00:42:14,667 - Clearly they were important in general, of course, 845 00:42:14,667 --> 00:42:17,933 for controlling movement in and out of cities, for example, 846 00:42:17,933 --> 00:42:19,767 but they use them in many other ways 847 00:42:19,767 --> 00:42:23,700 that speak to an interest in memorialization 848 00:42:23,700 --> 00:42:26,134 and also as expressions of power. 849 00:42:28,134 --> 00:42:29,967 - [Narrator] Unraveling Porta Nigra's place 850 00:42:29,967 --> 00:42:31,300 in Trier's history 851 00:42:31,300 --> 00:42:33,000 has proven an intricate challenge 852 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,001 úfor historians to solve. 853 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:41,601 Trier was founded by the Romans around 16 BCE, 854 00:42:41,601 --> 00:42:44,434 during the reign of Emperor Augustus. 855 00:42:44,434 --> 00:42:46,101 The city rose to prominence 856 00:42:46,101 --> 00:42:49,167 when the Roman general Agrippa constructed a road 857 00:42:49,167 --> 00:42:53,134 from Leon to Cologne in 39 BCE, 858 00:42:53,134 --> 00:42:57,133 enhancing its importance as a trade and military center. 859 00:42:57,133 --> 00:42:59,401 However, despite Trier's preservation 860 00:42:59,401 --> 00:43:01,600 of numerous Roman monuments, 861 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:03,567 more than any other German city, 862 00:43:03,567 --> 00:43:07,067 much of its early history remains shrouded in mystery. 863 00:43:09,734 --> 00:43:12,567 - At one point it was turned into a church. 864 00:43:12,567 --> 00:43:14,367 Then, after a period of time, 865 00:43:14,367 --> 00:43:16,501 that part of the structure was demolished. 866 00:43:16,501 --> 00:43:18,501 Other modifications as well 867 00:43:18,501 --> 00:43:23,367 have sometimes got in the way of understanding its origins. 868 00:43:23,367 --> 00:43:26,867 - Pinpointing its exact date of construction 869 00:43:26,867 --> 00:43:29,567 presents a massive challenge. 870 00:43:29,567 --> 00:43:33,700 - [Narrator] In 2017, researchers unveil new findings 871 00:43:33,700 --> 00:43:37,634 that shed light on the timeline of this historical landmark. 872 00:43:37,634 --> 00:43:39,234 - This carefully planned dig 873 00:43:39,234 --> 00:43:42,401 aimed to answer the long standing question 874 00:43:42,401 --> 00:43:45,301 of when exactly the Porta Nigra was built. 875 00:43:46,567 --> 00:43:47,900 - [Narrator] After several attempts, 876 00:43:47,900 --> 00:43:50,400 the team comes across an ancient piece of wood 877 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:53,867 that will prove key in unlocking the gate's mysteries. 878 00:43:54,501 --> 00:43:56,234 Using tree ring dating, 879 00:43:56,234 --> 00:44:00,733 they are able to tie the timber to the year 170 CE. 880 00:44:00,733 --> 00:44:04,934 - It's quite rare to find wood in the archeological record. 881 00:44:04,934 --> 00:44:07,534 The conditions have to be exact. 882 00:44:07,534 --> 00:44:11,034 Most of the time the soil has to be not acidic, 883 00:44:11,034 --> 00:44:14,300 more alkaline-rich as well as waterlogged 884 00:44:14,300 --> 00:44:17,734 because the water keeps the wood from degrading. 885 00:44:17,734 --> 00:44:20,834 - This discovery is a huge revelation. 886 00:44:22,834 --> 00:44:25,034 - The city walls of Trier were constructed 887 00:44:25,034 --> 00:44:27,967 during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, 888 00:44:27,967 --> 00:44:30,734 which was a time of relative peace and prosperity 889 00:44:30,734 --> 00:44:32,201 for the Roman Empire. 890 00:44:33,300 --> 00:44:36,233 - If this is a time of relative peace, 891 00:44:36,233 --> 00:44:39,301 why build such a defensive structure? 892 00:44:40,734 --> 00:44:42,667 - [Narrator] The Porta Nigra was constructed 893 00:44:42,667 --> 00:44:45,867 as part of a system of four city gates. 894 00:44:45,867 --> 00:44:48,934 - Historical records, archeological evidence 895 00:44:48,934 --> 00:44:52,400 and the remarkable preservation of the Porta Nigra itself 896 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:55,967 help us piece together what the original gate system 897 00:44:55,967 --> 00:44:57,134 would have looked like. 898 00:44:58,201 --> 00:45:00,034 - [Narrator] The gate's original design 899 00:45:00,034 --> 00:45:02,534 featured twin four-story towers 900 00:45:02,534 --> 00:45:05,367 flanking a central courtyard. 901 00:45:05,367 --> 00:45:08,967 The courtyard separated the gate openings on each side, 902 00:45:08,967 --> 00:45:12,201 creating multiple levels of protection and surveillance. 903 00:45:13,367 --> 00:45:16,967 - So when we think about rocks and stone masonry, 904 00:45:16,967 --> 00:45:19,934 historically we really couldn't cut them very accurately. 905 00:45:19,934 --> 00:45:22,734 What makes sandstone an interesting material 906 00:45:22,734 --> 00:45:25,501 for construction is that it's really formable. 907 00:45:25,501 --> 00:45:30,233 So even with wooden tools with stone implements 908 00:45:30,233 --> 00:45:31,500 on their end, 909 00:45:31,500 --> 00:45:34,467 we can actually form sandstone into complex shapes 910 00:45:34,467 --> 00:45:36,767 and form it very accurately. 911 00:45:36,767 --> 00:45:39,400 Then when we place those blocks together, 912 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:40,700 even without mortar, 913 00:45:40,700 --> 00:45:45,034 we end up with a really rigid, self-supporting structure. 914 00:45:45,034 --> 00:45:48,667 - Interestingly, despite its grandeur, 915 00:45:48,667 --> 00:45:51,434 the gate appears to be incomplete. 916 00:45:52,834 --> 00:45:54,667 - Certain sections of the walls and pillars 917 00:45:54,667 --> 00:45:56,500 appear to be very roughly finished, 918 00:45:56,500 --> 00:46:00,367 which does not align with the precision of Roman building. 919 00:46:00,367 --> 00:46:04,933 - Could looming events have interrupted its construction? 920 00:46:04,933 --> 00:46:08,401 Or was it simply a matter of budget constraints? 921 00:46:10,933 --> 00:46:13,067 - [Narrator] As a new millennium dawns, 922 00:46:13,067 --> 00:46:15,867 Trier welcomes an unexpected visitor, 923 00:46:15,867 --> 00:46:19,867 one who will alter the spiritual landscape of the city. 924 00:46:21,034 --> 00:46:24,167 - So in 1030, a monk named Simeon arrives in the city. 925 00:46:24,167 --> 00:46:26,400 He'd been traveling with an archbishop, 926 00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:29,367 and he pretty much tried every way to be a monastic. 927 00:46:29,367 --> 00:46:31,701 He'd been a monk in Egypt, in a monastery. 928 00:46:31,701 --> 00:46:33,667 He'd been a hermit out in the desert. 929 00:46:33,667 --> 00:46:36,534 None of those things had been extreme enough for Simeon. 930 00:46:36,534 --> 00:46:38,000 And when he arrives in Trier, 931 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:40,567 he decides he's going to take it up a notch. 932 00:46:40,567 --> 00:46:42,433 He's going to be an anchorite. 933 00:46:42,433 --> 00:46:45,434 An anchorite is someone who essentially dies to the world. 934 00:46:45,434 --> 00:46:48,833 They have themselves walled up permanently 935 00:46:48,833 --> 00:46:50,601 in some sort of structure 936 00:46:50,601 --> 00:46:52,800 where they can never leave ever again. 937 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:55,700 Usually there's a small space and opening 938 00:46:55,700 --> 00:46:57,467 where food can be passed to them, 939 00:46:57,467 --> 00:46:59,434 and where waste can be put out. 940 00:46:59,434 --> 00:47:02,933 But that's it. They will never, ever leave again. 941 00:47:02,933 --> 00:47:06,834 - He has access to great monasteries and abbeys, 942 00:47:06,834 --> 00:47:10,567 so why would he choose this old Roman gate? 943 00:47:12,167 --> 00:47:14,234 - Now the whole point of being an anchorite 944 00:47:14,234 --> 00:47:16,867 is to be seen by other people being an anchorite. 945 00:47:16,867 --> 00:47:20,167 It's the medieval equivalent of virtue signaling. 946 00:47:20,167 --> 00:47:22,701 And so the location he chooses 947 00:47:22,701 --> 00:47:25,467 has to be somewhere with a lot of traffic, 948 00:47:25,467 --> 00:47:27,667 a place where people are going to notice him 949 00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:29,001 being an anchorite. 950 00:47:29,001 --> 00:47:31,901 So where does he choose, the Porta Nigra. 951 00:47:33,334 --> 00:47:35,734 - [Narrator] Simeon's request to be enclosed in Porta Nigra 952 00:47:35,734 --> 00:47:37,367 is granted, 953 00:47:37,367 --> 00:47:38,867 and a ceremony is held 954 00:47:38,867 --> 00:47:41,901 to mark the beginning of the monk's life as a recluse. 955 00:47:42,834 --> 00:47:44,467 - During the ceremony, 956 00:47:44,467 --> 00:47:49,501 he's enclosed in a cell high in the gate tower. 957 00:47:50,367 --> 00:47:51,167 - It's irreversible. 958 00:47:51,167 --> 00:47:52,367 Once you've made that choice, 959 00:47:52,367 --> 00:47:53,667 there is no turning back. 960 00:47:53,667 --> 00:47:56,734 You are living your life in that small, confined space. 961 00:47:56,734 --> 00:48:00,467 - He spends his days in solitary devotion, 962 00:48:00,467 --> 00:48:02,834 praying and fasting. 963 00:48:02,834 --> 00:48:06,734 - For poor Simeon, it lasted a total of five years. 964 00:48:06,734 --> 00:48:08,867 Five years. And he died. 965 00:48:08,867 --> 00:48:12,401 And his bones were buried there in the same cell 966 00:48:12,401 --> 00:48:15,001 where he had ended his days. 967 00:48:15,001 --> 00:48:16,734 - This is part of the reason why we think 968 00:48:16,734 --> 00:48:18,234 it still stands today, 969 00:48:18,234 --> 00:48:21,067 because he spent time there, which enabled preservation. 970 00:48:21,067 --> 00:48:25,667 - What motivated these monks to renounce this life 971 00:48:25,667 --> 00:48:30,934 was both a quest to connect with God in their current life, 972 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:36,067 but also to be rewarded in the afterlife. 973 00:48:37,834 --> 00:48:39,567 - [Narrator] Following Saint Simeon's death, 974 00:48:39,567 --> 00:48:42,300 the ancient Roman Gate is expanded 975 00:48:42,300 --> 00:48:45,167 to incorporate a magnificent medieval church 976 00:48:45,167 --> 00:48:47,333 in the revered monk's honor. 977 00:48:47,333 --> 00:48:48,900 - What we see today 978 00:48:48,900 --> 00:48:51,367 has had its medieval iterations stripped away, 979 00:48:51,367 --> 00:48:54,300 and it's basically reconstructed in its original form 980 00:48:54,300 --> 00:48:57,333 to what people would have seen almost 2000 years ago 981 00:48:57,333 --> 00:48:59,734 when they were approaching the gate. 982 00:48:59,734 --> 00:49:01,367 - [Narrator] In 1803, 983 00:49:01,367 --> 00:49:04,067 in the aftermath of the French Revolution, 984 00:49:04,067 --> 00:49:07,800 Napoleon Bonaparte lays eyes on the Porta Nigra 985 00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:10,500 and becomes intent on returning the monument 986 00:49:10,500 --> 00:49:12,801 to its former Roman glory. 987 00:49:13,767 --> 00:49:16,467 - It's very interesting and certainly revealing 988 00:49:16,467 --> 00:49:20,967 that Napoleon, when he came and saw the Porta Nigra, 989 00:49:20,967 --> 00:49:24,633 his first response was to destroy the attached church. 990 00:49:24,633 --> 00:49:26,634 Now why would he want to do that? 991 00:49:26,634 --> 00:49:31,901 That's because he wanted to evoke the imperial history 992 00:49:32,434 --> 00:49:33,733 of the gate, 993 00:49:33,733 --> 00:49:35,567 and the church was not part of it. 994 00:49:35,567 --> 00:49:37,934 - Napoleon saw himself connected 995 00:49:37,934 --> 00:49:39,901 to the Roman emperors of old. 996 00:49:39,901 --> 00:49:41,667 And so the Porta Nigra, 997 00:49:41,667 --> 00:49:44,000 rather than it being a medieval relic, 998 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:48,867 to Napoleon, it was a symbol of the great Roman past. 999 00:49:50,401 --> 00:49:54,767 - Napoleon doesn't want to continue to fight 1000 00:49:54,767 --> 00:49:57,001 to build a new legacy 1001 00:49:57,001 --> 00:50:01,734 but instead appropriate a legacy that has already existed. 1002 00:50:01,734 --> 00:50:04,567 And in that sense, it's easier to build on. 1003 00:50:04,567 --> 00:50:05,600 It's sort of like momentum; 1004 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:07,900 you start going back far enough 1005 00:50:07,900 --> 00:50:09,533 and it's easy to move forward. 1006 00:50:09,533 --> 00:50:14,801 But if you're starting from today, every step is a journey. 1007 00:50:16,134 --> 00:50:19,067 - [Narrator] Bonaparte dismantles the church and monastery 1008 00:50:19,067 --> 00:50:22,567 and today traces of the gate's religious extensions 1009 00:50:22,567 --> 00:50:24,733 are all but eliminated. 1010 00:50:24,733 --> 00:50:26,634 - One of the issues with sandstone 1011 00:50:26,634 --> 00:50:28,801 is it's really very porous. 1012 00:50:28,801 --> 00:50:32,301 So if you're burning fires in the Middle Ages 1013 00:50:32,301 --> 00:50:33,667 to keep yourself warm, 1014 00:50:33,667 --> 00:50:35,967 the smoke is going to impregnate, 1015 00:50:35,967 --> 00:50:37,967 especially the surfaces of the blocks. 1016 00:50:37,967 --> 00:50:39,934 And as we move into the industrial age, 1017 00:50:39,934 --> 00:50:42,467 we now have all of these industrial pollutants. 1018 00:50:42,467 --> 00:50:45,434 Essentially all of that pollution over many centuries 1019 00:50:45,434 --> 00:50:48,200 has absorbed into the sandstone over time, 1020 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:51,634 and it's turned it from that natural sandstone color 1021 00:50:51,634 --> 00:50:53,534 into being very black. 1022 00:50:53,534 --> 00:50:55,134 - Given its imposing appearance, 1023 00:50:55,134 --> 00:50:57,934 it does give an allure to it 1024 00:50:57,934 --> 00:51:02,133 by being this standalone black gate that's just there, 1025 00:51:02,133 --> 00:51:04,534 waiting to meet visitors. 1026 00:51:06,701 --> 00:51:09,101 - [Narrator] A sense of wonder and mystery 1027 00:51:09,101 --> 00:51:12,433 will forever surround these monumental structures. 1028 00:51:12,433 --> 00:51:16,333 The Pantheon's dome whispering of forgotten deities, 1029 00:51:16,333 --> 00:51:19,001 Mont Saint-Michel's legends and visions 1030 00:51:19,001 --> 00:51:20,867 and celestial guidance, 1031 00:51:20,867 --> 00:51:23,700 and Porta Nigra's unfinished stories 1032 00:51:23,700 --> 00:51:26,401 echoing through the ages. 1033 00:51:26,401 --> 00:51:28,133 These architectural marvels 1034 00:51:28,133 --> 00:51:31,034 have revealed captivating secrets, 1035 00:51:31,034 --> 00:51:35,200 yet countless enigmas remain hidden within their stones. 1036 00:51:35,200 --> 00:51:37,801 (dramatic music) 1037 00:51:53,367 --> 00:51:56,867 (dramatic music continues) 1038 00:52:06,601 --> 00:52:10,001 (dramatic music softens)