DK Travel : Paris : The Panthéon

The Panthéon

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Today Paris’s beautiful Panthéon building is a fitting final resting place for the city’s great citizens. However, it was originally built as a church, on the instigation of Louis XV to celebrate his recovery from a serious bout of gout in 1744. Dedicated to Sainte Geneviève, the structure was finished in 1790 and was intended to look like the Pantheon in Rome, hence the name; in fact it more closely resembles St Paul’s Cathedral in London. During the Revolution it was turned into a mausoleum for the city’s great achievers, but Napoleon gave it back to the church in 1806. It was later desecularized, handed back to the church once more, before finally becoming a public building in 1885.
For more Paris burial sites See Graves

Top 10 Features

1. Dome

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.
2. Dome Galleries

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.
3. Crypt

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).
4. Frescoes of Sainte Geneviève

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.
5. Foucault’s Pendulum

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.
6. Monument to Diderot

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

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

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.
9. Tomb of Voltaire

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

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

Practical Information

Crêpes à Gogo (12 rue Soufflot, open 7am–11pm) is an ideal pit stop for a crêpe, coffee and an ice-cream. Ticket sales stop 45 minutes before closing time, so arrive on time. Place du Panthéon, 75005 01 44 32 18 00 Open Apr–Sep 10am– 6:30pm daily; Oct–Mar 10am–6pm daily Admission €7.00 (free under 12s) Disabled access to main floor only