The Panthéon

The Panthéon in Paris is an early example of Neoclassicism, with a façade modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, surmounted by a small dome. It was commissioned by Louis XV, ostensibly as thanks to Ste Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, for curing him of illness, but also as part of a grand plan to emphasize the unity of the church and state, troubled at the time by growing divisions between Jesuits and Jansenists.

The Panthéon mini guide

Guide point	Details
Department:	Paris and surrounding area > Ile de France > Paris >
Address::	Panthéon, 19 Place du Panthéon, 75005, Paris, France
Switch board number:	+33 (0)1 44 32 18 00
Quick links to accommodation:	Accommodation near The Panthéon - Hotels in The Panthéon Show accommodation in Paris - Self catering in Paris - Bed and Breakfast in Paris properties with pools in Paris -

The building was only completed in 1789, whereupon the Revolution promptly transformed it into a mausoleum, adding the words "Aux grands hommes la patrie reconnaissante" ("The nation honours its great men") underneath the pediment of the giant portico.

The remains of French cultural giants such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo and Zola are now entombed in the vast, barrel-vaulted crypt below, along with more recent arrivals, Marie Curie and Alexandre Dumas.