The Panthéon, the national mausoleum of distinguished French citizens, is located in the Latin Quarter. It was once the site of the ancient church of the Abbey of St Genevieve, but by the middle of the eighteenth century it had fallen into disrepair. Severely ill, Louis XV made a vow - if he recovered, he would restore the church.
Under Napoleon, the temple was returned to the status of a church, but in its crypt continued to bury those who were famous for their gifts or heroic feats. After the Restoration, the church was richly decorated with painted ceilings with paintings of French history from Charlemagne onwards. One of the paintings was planned to be dedicated to Bonaparte, but the times were not right and the artist, Baron Gros, diplomatically depicted the return of the Bourbons - Louis XVI with his wife and son in the clouds.
After the Revolution of 1830, the church finally became the national Pantheon. In 1851, the physicist Foucault performed here the classic experiment with a pendulum under the vault, clearly demonstrating the rotation of the Earth.
The Panthéon houses the ashes of many prominent people: Victor Hugo, the Curies, Louis Braille, Émile Zola, Jean Jaurès.
Now the Panthéon is organising a huge nationwide campaign to attract donations for the restoration of the building. Any French citizen is eligible to make a contribution, receiving a tax deduction. The donor also receives, depending on the amount of the contribution, a special status ranging from "companion of fame" to "friend and patron of the Pantheon".
On a side note
- Location: 28 Place du Panthéon, Paris
- Nearest metro station: "Cardinal Lemoine" line M10
- Official website: http://pantheon.monuments-nationaux.fr/fr/
- Opening hours: daily except 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, from 1 April to 30 September - from 10.00 to 18.30, from 1 October to 31 March - from 10.00 to 18.00. Entry will cease 45 minutes before closing time.
- Tickets: adults €8, children under 17 free of charge.
