The Panthéon is a building in the Latin Quarter of Paris, France. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, but after many changes now combines liturgical functions with its role as a famous burial place. It is an early example of Neoclassicism, with a facade modelled after the Pantheon in Rome surmounted by a dome that owes some of its character to Bramante's "Tempietto". As with most famed buildings, the Pantheon Paris has its unique story. The reason the it was was built was to replace the damaged Sainte-Genevieve church under the orders of Louis XV who was putting this monument up as a gratitude to God after his health had recovered. [Jacques-Germai] Soufflot was chosen for accomplishing the task. He wanted to have the Gothic style combined with the classical structure. Because of financial problems, Soufflot could not finish the building during his life; he died before seeing it completed and his pupil who finished it, did not exactly have the same ideas of his master and made some changes. However there is little doubt that this building is one of the greatest neoclassical monuments and a true masterpiece. Shortly after the Pantheon was built (which was called back then the Sainte-Genevieve Church), came the French Revolution. It was then when the Revolutionist government changed the church into a mausoleum, a place to bury exceptional Frenchmen who had sacrificed their lives for their country or who had done something great for France. The Pantheon flipped back and forth to a church over the years but eventually assumed its lasting role as a  burial place for martyrs and brilliant French citizens for good. - The Pantheon (Feb. 2012)

Architectural features Church laid out in Greek-cross plan Marble floor and columns Coffered dome Greek-cross plan Note St. Joan of Arc mural on far wall

Mural: Martyrdom of St. Denis The Martyrdom of Saint Denis. Detail - The Martyrdom of Saint Denis.

In 1851, physicist Léon Foucault demonstrated the rotation of the Earth by his experiment conducted in the Panthéon, by constructing a 67 meter Foucault pendulum beneath the central dome. The original sphere from the pendulum was temporarily displayed at the Panthéon in the 1990s (starting in 1995) during renovations at the Musée des Arts et Métiers. The original pendulum was later returned to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, and a copy is now displayed at the Panthéon. - Wikipedia (Feb. 2012)

Saint Joan of Arc Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 1 Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 1 - Detail Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 2 Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 2 -Detail Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 3, Coronation of Charles VII Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 3 - Detail, Coronation of Charles VII  Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 4,  Burning at the stake as a heretic in Rouen when she was 19 years old. Saint Joan of Arc - Scene 4 - Detail, Burning at the stake as a heretic in Rouen when she was 19 years old.

Spandrel Spandrel painting Spandrel painting - Detail

Tympanum

Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II - Scene 1 Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II - Scene 2 Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II - Scene 2 - Detail Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II - Scene 2 - Detail Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II - Scene 3 Crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo II - Scene 3 - Detail

---

Photos and their arrangement © 2012 Chuck LaChiusa
| ...Home Page ...| ..Buffalo Architecture Index...| ..Buffalo History Index... .|....E-Mail ...| ..

web site consulting by ingenious, inc.