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Pantheon Paris France
>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=-22-FBLaGnc
The site of the Panthéon had great significance in Paris history, and was occupied by a series of monuments. It was on Mount Lucotitius, a height on the Left Bank where the forum of the Roman town of Lutetia was located. It was also the original burial site of Saint Genevieve who had led the resistance to the Huns when they threatened Paris in 451. In 508, Clovis, King of the Franks, constructed a church there, where he and his wife were later buried in 511 and 545, respectively. The church, originally dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was rededicated to Saint Genevieve, who became the patron saint of Paris. It was at the center of the Abbey of Saint Genevieve, a center of religious scholarship in the Middle Ages. Her relics were kept in the church and were only brought out for solemn processions when dangers threatened the city. In 1744, King Louis XV vowed that if he recovered from his illness he would replace the dilapidated church of the Abbey of St Genevieve with a grander building worthy of the patron saint of Paris. While he did, it took 10 years from that point to begin design and 22 years to finish the design, though the foundation was built in 1758. The Pantheon was completed in 1790. • Since then, the building has gone from temple, to mausoleum, to temple, etc. over again. Many famous people of stature are interred there. • Fun fact about the design: The dome is actually three domes, fitting within each other. The first (lowest dome) has a coffered ceiling with rosettes, and is open in the center. Looking through this dome, the second dome is visible, decorated with the fresco The Apotheosis of Saint Genevieve. The outermost dome, visible from the outside, is built of stone bound together with iron cramps and covered with lead sheathing. Concealed buttresses inside the walls give additional support to the dome. • We didn’t really have an intention of going in there but curiosity got the better of us when we saw a line form. We’re really glad we did (as you can see from the video above). What’s more fascinating than the sheer size of the building are the crypts. Funny enough, Madame Curie and her husband are both entombed there, along with a few other people however, many of these are empty and have been for hundreds of years (if you see it, you realize it feels more like a dungeon than an eternal resting place). It’s worth a stop to see! • @blackbeardsadventures • For more on planning your own trip to Paris: www.inspiruption.com/the-travel-lounge/paris
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