Le Panthéon

 April 30, 2025

The first part of the day was filled with chores - groceries, laundry etc.  Not knowing what to do next we decided on a visit to Le Pantheon.  A podcast we listened to termed it boring but we found it anything but that.  Much of the history of France is told in its murals which are gigantic.  It started as a church so some of the imagery is very Christian but then the revolution happened and the powers that then were, decided it would be secular though they kept most of the religious iconography.  It makes for an odd but interesting mix of styles. 

The most fascinating piece is the pendulum set up by Foucault to prove that the earth rotates.  It swings on its own from on high, moving constantly, changing as the earth rotates, telling the time. A masterful study in physics, it dates to 1851 and is a 62 lb brass coated lead bob hanging from a 220 ft. wire (Actually this current one is a replica of the original which crashed once it was moved from this original location.)

Here is the confusing imagery - the symbol of France, Marianne surrounded by freedom fighters and above is Christ, some angels and Joan of Arc.

There were installations by a German artist on the subject of WWI.

“The Infantry”

“Who Are We??”

And the ceiling…..

In the basement the crypts of famous heroes, inventors, and writers are housed. (Mostly men of course.)

Monsieur et Madame Curie

The walls are covered in huge religious murals telling the stories of various saints including Joan of Arc and on leaving the building one is greeted by this mural: