The Rotunda is the neoclassical building designed by Thomas Jefferson that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Virginia.
Jefferson modeled the building partly on the Pantheon in Rome, adapting the ancient temple’s circular form and dome for a modern university library and ceremonial space. Construction began in 1822, and the Rotunda was completed in 1826, shortly before Jefferson’s death. It stands at the north end of the Lawn, the central axis of the university’s Academical Village.
The building was more than an ornament: Jefferson envisioned the Rotunda as the university’s library and intellectual heart. Its surrounding Lawn is lined with student rooms, faculty pavilions, and gardens, creating the integrated academic community Jefferson designed. The Rotunda was severely damaged by fire in 1895 but was rebuilt and later restored. It is often confused with Monticello, Jefferson’s Virginia home, or the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.; neither is the University of Virginia’s centerpiece.