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You have made it to the magnificent Le Panthéon. The building was constructed after King Louis
XV vowed that he would build a new grand basilica if he recovered from an illness he suffered
from. During this time he prayed to the patron saint of Paris, Saint Geneviève, that he
would recover and when he finally did in 1744, the new basilica was dedicated in her name.
The area where the current Panthéon stands today has however been a sacred site for an
even longer time. The place was a sacred site already in year 507 and later in 512, when
it became the first burial place for the Saint Geneviève, who had protected Paris from barbarians.
The man responsible for the construction of the Panthéon was the Marquis of Marigny and
the foundation stone was laid later in 1758. However, due to financial difficulties, the
completion of the building was delayed until 1789. This was a time of revolution in France,
and in 1791 the Constituent Assembly passed a decree to turn the basilica into a temple
to house the remains of the nations greatest. Since then, the building has been converted
back to a basilica twice. The converting back and forth did however stop with the burial
of the famous writer Victor Hugo in 1885 and has ever since mainly served as a civic temple
for France's greatest. The change from a basilica to a temple also
led to some changes on the outside of the Panthéon. Above the front pillars at the
main entrance, you will see the beautiful pediment which depicts "The fatherland crowning
the heroic". You will also be able to read the inscription "AUX GRANDS HOMMES LA PATRIE
RECONNAISSANTE", meaning "For the great men from the grateful homeland". If you look closely
o the left side of the pediment, you will see two small men sitting down. This is the
famous philosophers and writers Voltaire and Rousseau. This pediment is not the original
one, but was added in 1837 to reflect the buildings new use.
Another typical feature you can see by looking at the main entrance is its Corinthian columns.
The façade itself is modeled after the Pantheon of Agrippa in Rome and both inside the Panthéon
and on its outside, the Roman and Greek neoclassical features are evident. The Panthéons large
dome you can find in the middle was inspired by several similar Renaissance structures
and it was a smart way to lead daylight into the building, which was one of the architect
Jaques-Germain Soufflot's main goals when designing the Panthéon.
While the outside of the Panthéon is impressive, most people visit it for its inside. The inside
is covered with the same Corinthian columns that you see on the front façade. The inside
also holds three other main features. The first one is the many beautiful drawings you
will see on the walls, each one telling a part of the French history; everything from
the childhood of Saint Geneviève to the story of Joan de Arc. In the middle of the Panthéon
you will Foucault's pendulum. This is an invention by the physicist Léon Foucault which demonstrates
the rotation of the earth. The invention was installed in 1851, but was later removed and
reinstalled 1995. Surrounding the invention you will find early 20th century sculptures,
including scenes from the French revolution. The last main feature you will find on the
inside is the magnificent statue in the far back. This is known as "The National Convention
which shows the symbol of France, Marianne, surrounded by soldiers and members of the
parliament after the revolution. Just under Marianne you can read the phrase "Vivre libre
ou mourir" meaning "To live free or die". If you have the time, I also recommend that
you visit the crypt. As mentioned in the beginning, the Panthéon is after all a mausoleum for
France's greatest, so the crypt is well worth a visit. In total, there are more than 70
people entombed in the crypt. Among those buried down in the crypt is Voltaire, Rousseau,
Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin and Marie Curie.