Pantheon

The Panthéon in Paris, located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, is one of the most imposing and significant buildings in the French capital. Its history began in 1758, when King Louis XV decided to erect a monument in honor of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, as a thanksgiving for his recovery from a serious illness. The task was entrusted to the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, who designed a grand building inspired by classical architecture and Italian Renaissance models. The construction of the Panthéon was completed in 1790, but soon the fate of the building changed radically due to revolutionary events. With the French Revolution, the Panthéon was transformed into a secular mausoleum intended to house the remains of the great men of the nation. This decision was symbolic, marking the transition from a theocratic society to a republican one, celebrating the new ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The Panthéon is a masterpiece of neoclassical architecture. Its facade, with a majestic portico of Corinthian columns topped by a triangular pediment, recalls ancient Greek temples. The interior is equally impressive: a vast central nave surrounded by side chapels, with a huge central dome dominating the entire structure. The dome, 83 meters high, is decorated with frescoes depicting the glorification of Sainte Geneviève and republican virtues. Among the illustrious figures buried in the Panthéon are Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie Curie, and Alexandre Dumas. Each tomb tells a story of greatness and contributes to making the Panthéon not only a historic monument, but also a place of collective memory. The inscription on the facade, “Aux grands hommes, la patrie reconnaissante” (“To great men, the grateful homeland”), perfectly summarizes the spirit of the place. One of the most significant events related to the Panthéon was the installation of Foucault’s pendulum in 1851. Léon Foucault, a French physicist, used a long pendulum attached to the dome to demonstrate the Earth’s rotation. The experiment had a huge impact on the scientific community and the public, showing visibly and tangibly the movements of our planet. Today, a copy of the pendulum is still on display inside the Panthéon, attracting numerous visitors and science enthusiasts. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Panthéon underwent several transformations. Under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, it was temporarily returned to Catholic worship, but with the Restoration and the Third Republic, it returned to being a secular mausoleum. Every political change in France has left its mark on the building, making it a changing symbol of the nation. The Panthéon is not only a burial place and a celebration of the great men of the nation, but also a site of historical and cultural memory. The numerous ceremonies and commemorations held there every year testify to the importance of this building in French public life. Furthermore, the Panthéon hosts temporary exhibitions and cultural activities that attract visitors from around the world. The building itself is a work of art, with internal decorations ranging from sculptures to mosaics, frescoes to bas-reliefs. Among the most significant works are the sculptural group “La Convention nationale” by François-Léon Sicard and the painting “Le Génie de la Liberté” by Antoine-Jean Gros. These works, along with other decorative elements, help create a solemn and majestic atmosphere. A curious anecdote concerns the construction of the Panthéon: during the works, Soufflot faced numerous structural problems, mainly due to the choice of materials that were too heavy for the foundations. This led to significant delays and increased costs. However, Soufflot managed to solve the problems with ingenious solutions, demonstrating his talent and dedication to the project.