Panthéon

"Walking up the Rue Soufflot from the Jardin du Luxembourg, you will find yourselves staring at one of the most interesting buildings in the city: the Panthéon. Initially built as a church dedicated to the patron saint of Paris, Sainte-Geneviève, it was completed in 1790, in the midst of the French Revolution, when the Church wasn't the most popular institution around. What happened afterwards was a vote at the newly founded National Assembly, that changed its function to a mausoleum, to honour people who had done great deeds for the nation of France. Although it was reused as a church a couple of time in the 19th century, the burial of Victor Hugo there in 1885 cemented its use, and it has been used as a mausoleum ever since. Some notable people to be buried there are Pierre Curie and Marie Curie, Josephine Baker, Alexandre Dumas, Emile Zola, Voltaire and Rousseau. There are many other interesting things to see in the building other than the crypt, such as the Foucault Pendulum, a series of paintings on Sainte-Geneviève, and of course the amazing architecture of Jacques-Germain Soufflot. "

"The Panthéon (from the Classical Greek word πάνθειον=temple to all gods) is a monument and temple of the French nation. With Pantheon, architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot met Louis XV’s wish to glorify the monarchy in the form of a church dedicated to Saint Geneviève, the patron Saint of Paris. The Revolution in 1789 transformed the monument into a temple for Great Men. During the turbulent years of the 19th century, as regimes changed, it alternated in its role as a religious and patriotic monument. Address: Pl. du Panthéon, 75005 Paris, France Opening hours: Everyday From June 15 until the end of September, 10:45-19:00 From October 1 to March 31, 10:00-18:00 From April 1 to June 30, 10:00-18:30 Ticket price: 11,5€ Getting there: LINE 10 Métro station Censier-Daubenton "

"El Panteón es una joya cultural e histórica en el corazón de París, y es una visita obligada para quienes están interesados en la rica herencia intelectual y la grandeza arquitectónica de la ciudad. En su interior, encontrarás los lugares de descanso final de numerosas figuras prominentes de Francia, incluyendo a Voltaire, Rousseau, Víctor Hugo, Émile Zola y Marie Curie. Sus tumbas están entre las más visitadas del mausoleo. Los visitantes también pueden subir a la cima de la cúpula del Panteón, donde una escalera de caracol conduce a una recompensa: una vista panorámica de París desde el exterior de la cúpula."