panthéon.

the panthéon, whose front is modeled after a monument bearing its same name in greece, used to be a church but is now a mausoleum housing famous frenchmen. the "grands hommes" are people who france considers to be national heroes because of their intellectual contributions.

inside are murals depicting different moments in the life of saint geneviève, to whom the panthéon was dedicated. there are also sculptures and frescoes dating from different periods of french history. the size and the detailed architecture of the interior dome are the most impressive parts... pretty unbelievable.

in the crypt are the tombs of france's heroes: voltaire (a personal favorite of mine since the statue depicts him smiling... he was a clever guy), jean jacques rousseau, emile zola, alexander dumas, jean moulin, marie and pierre curie, louis braille, and many others. as with the cimitière de montparnasse, it's amazing to be among some of france's most important people!

we also took a trip to the dome of the panthéon, where you can see all of paris. it was lovely. all in all, it was a great afternoon. it was our first "monument," i suppose, and therefore my first taste of all of the glory of france. this country is so old, so rich in history, compared to the states. everything is full of the centuries, and it is so evident in the buildings, museums, and homes. i love that.