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Inspired by Sir Christopher Wren’s design of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, as well as by the Dôme Church at Les Invalides (see Dôme Church Ceiling), this iron-framed dome is made up of three layers. At the top a narrow opening only lets in a tiny amount of natural light, in keeping with the building’s sombre purpose.

A staircase leads to the galleries immediately below the dome, affording spectacular 360-degree panoramic views of Paris. The pillars surrounding the galleries are both decorative and functional, providing essential support for the dome.

The crypt is eerily impressive in its scale compared to most tiny, dark church crypts. Here lie the tombs and memorials to French citizens deemed worthy of burial here, including the prolific French writer Emile Zola (see Nana).

Delicate murals by 19th-century artist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, on the south wall of the nave, tell the story of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. In 451 she is believed to have saved the city from invasion by the barbaric Attila the Hun and his hordes due to the power of her prayers.

The landmark discovery of the earth’s rotation was made from the Panthéon. In 1851 French physicist Jean Foucault (1819–68) suspended a weight from the dome. The weight swung back and forth, and as its position moved in relation to the floor below, so Foucault was able to prove his theory.

French philosopher Denis Diderot (1713–84) is honoured by this grand 1925 monument by Alphonse Terroir.

The Panthéon’s façade was inspired by Roman design. The 22 Corinthian columns support both the portico roof and bas-reliefs.

The bas-relief above the entrance shows a female figure, representing France, handing out laurels to the great men of the nation – the same way that Greeks and Romans honoured their heroes.

A statue of the great writer, wit and philosopher Voltaire (1694–1788) stands in front of his tomb.

The body of the French author (see Les Misérables) was carried to the Panthéon in a pauper’s hearse, at his own request.