Pantheon

Built at the behest of Louis XV, who had recovered from a very serious illness, the Pantheon in Paris is dedicated to Saint Geneviève and designed by architect Germain Soufflot as a neoclassical style church.

The monument has a very troubled history: it was turned into a pantheon during the Revolution as the tomb of famous people and returned to the Church by Napoleon, then again deconsecrated and re-consecrated in the 19th century until becoming a public building again in 1885.

It stands atop the Sainte-Geneviève hill in the centre of the famous Latin Quarter and its façade is clearly inspired by the Pantheon in Rome while its conformation is inspired by St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The Pantheon Dome

During your visit to the Pantheon, you must not miss the climb to the top of the dome. After climbing 425 steps, you will enjoy an absolutely exceptional panorama and a 360° view of the Ville Lumiere that opens up before you as if by magic.

The view is breathtaking, especially on a clear sunny day, when your gaze can sweep over the capital in all its beauty.

A curiosity: the dome of the Panthéon is actually composed of three interlocking domes, only one of which is visible from outside the Mausoleum.

Foucault’s Pendulum

One of the Mausoleum’s most popular attractions is undoubtedly the Foucault Pendulum, preserved in the Panthéon’s central hall.

At 67 metres high, the pendulum was designed by the physicist Michel Foucault with the aim of demonstrating the rotation of the earth through an empirical experiment that was carried out in 1851 right inside the Panthéon.

The pendulum that can be admired in the Mausoleum is only a faithful reproduction of the original one, kept at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris.

The Crypt and Tombs

A visit to the Crypt, located in the basement of the Mausoleum, is a must.

Here are preserved the remains of more than 70 great men of French history, including writers, poets and scientists, buried here as a sign of the highest honour from the nation.

Lovers of history and literature will not miss the opportunity to admire the tombs of philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau, writers Dumas, Hugo and Zola, historical figures such as scientists Marie and Pierre Curie, and Soufflot and Rondelet, architects of the Mausoleum itself.

If you are looking for Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb, you are in the wrong place: the great French leader is buried in the Les Invalides Museum Complex.

How to get there

The Pantheon is located in the Latin Quarter, very close to the Sorbonne and is easily accessible by public transport:

• metro: line 10 Cardinal Lemoine stop
• bus: lines 21, 27, 38, 82, 84, 85, 89