Panthéon

The Panthéon in Paris is an 18th-century neoclassical building in the Latin Quarter that was conceived as a church and later converted into a secular mausoleum. Its construction spans the final decades of the Ancien Régime and the revolutionary era.

A monumental portico leads into a circular rotunda beneath a prominent dome; the interior space houses tombs and commemorative plaques for leading figures of French history. The crypt contains the burial vaults of writers, scientists and statesmen, and the dome offers views over the surrounding neighbourhood on some visits.

Designed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot, construction started in 1758 and the building was largely completed around 1790, after which its function shifted between church and state mausoleum several times during the 19th century. It has since become a symbolic national monument where distinguished citizens are interred.

Located in Paris’s 5th arrondissement near the Luxembourg Gardens, the Panthéon stands in the Latin Quarter close to the Sorbonne and major academic institutions.

• Construction dates: Construction began in 1758 and was substantially completed around 1790, when it was secularized during the French Revolution.
• Function as a mausoleum: Contains the crypt of notable French figures such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie, making it a national mausoleum.

What to See #

• Dome and Rotunda: The rotunda and dome culminating in a high cupola that forms the building's visual hallmark and houses a panoramic interior coffering.
• Crypt and Burial Vaults: Underground crypt that contains burial vaults of prominent French figures from the Revolution onward, arranged beneath the main floor.
• Portico and Façade: Neoclassical portico and colonnaded façade inspired by Roman models, forming the building's principal street-facing elevation.