Paris, the Pantheon: the history of the monument

Tourists from all over the world visiting France enjoy Paris with special love. The Pantheon, a historical monument located in this city, is distinguished not only by its rich history, but also by the beauty of its architectural forms. The structure is in essence a burial vault in which remains of the most famous historical figures of the country rest. The Pantheon was built during the Great French Revolution. At one time the building of the mausoleum was the Cathedral of St. Genevieve.

Currently, this memorial complex is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Paris. Travelers are attracted not only by the history of buried noble townspeople, but also by the majestic architecture of the building. In the external appearance it is possible to note the eclecticism of several styles, one can not unambiguously refer the construction to a certain architectural direction. At a time when the cathedral functioned in the Pantheon, historical sources report a sharp rejection by the townspeople of the appearance of the building. However, Parisians are famous for their ambiguous attitude towards innovations in architectural forms. It is enough to recall the history of the Eiffel Tower.

The Pantheon (Paris) looks grand. His photo is used for many posters and postcards. It is located in the fifth district, near the city center. At the entrance to the complex of tourists meets an inscription saying "From grateful homeland to worthy people". There are always many tourists from all over the world. Particularly interesting appearance of the Pantheon acquires with the onset of sunset, at this time a special illumination is activated.

Church of Saint Genevieve

Everyone is interested in the question: "In what year was the pantheon founded in Paris?" Its history dates back to the eighteenth century, when King Louis XV of France, before the decisive battles, suddenly fell ill and was about to emit spirit, but after the prayers of St. Genevieve suddenly began to feel much better and was soon healed. The king swore that if Genevieve returned his health, he undertook to build a large church in the name of the saint. True, after the king regained his health, he forgot about this heavenly promise and only remembered it after a long time.

In the 12th year after the recovery of the king, the construction of the temple was started under the guidance of the architect of the then-Sufflo. Thus one more attraction has found Paris. The Pantheon is a beautiful structure that fascinates every tourist.

Construction of the Cathedral

The project under the authorship of a well-known architect led the monarch and residents of the city into bewilderment. For the era was characterized by the architectural direction of the Baroque, characterized by a wealth of jewelry and luxury forms. The architect Sufflo used his own approach - the original eclecticism of four different directions: Greek, Roman, Gothic, Baroque.

The Catholic Church came out sharply against the proposed project because of the fact that the temple forms were somewhat reminiscent of the Byzantine cross. Sufflo had to make changes in the appearance of the structure. So the Pantheon took shape in Paris. The description of the building shows that this is not just a temple, but a burial vault for the great people of France.

Later on, as the architect was building, he constantly faced numerous difficulties and a lack of funding. The monetary difficulties of the king led to the fact that it was necessary to reduce the price of the project, refusing some architectural elements. As a result, the construction was protracted, and until its completion, neither the king nor the famous architect survived. The construction was completed by his assistants.

The Further History of the Pantheon

The building was not long in the cathedral. With the beginning of the Great French Revolution, many temples of the country suffered a sad fate: they were ruined and closed. The Temple of St. Genevieve narrowly escaped such a fate. For this, the building of the church was transformed into the Pantheon - the tomb of the heroes of the country. Over the course of the subsequent history, the structure passed several times from revolutionaries to the royal court and back and changed its name. In the end, the building was named Pantheon.

Current state

Currently, many tourists are attracted to Paris. The Pantheon is a memorial complex, a burial vault in which the remains of the glorified French and honorary friends of the country are kept. So, for example, here the famous Italian painter Raphael is buried. Many celebrated personalities are still waiting for their hour to be reburied in such a famous place, for example:

• Napoleon Bonaparte;
• Count Mirabeau;
• Voltaire;
• Rousseau.

If you visit Paris, the Pantheon deserves to be the first place you will go.