i wouldn't go so far as to say i 'stumbled upon' the pantheon (or if you want to be fancy, la panthéon), as i figured it was in the general rive gauche vicinity... but it was only after taking a few 'there-should-be-a-metro-somewhere-around-here' turns that all of a sudden there it was in front of me.
i was actually heading home from a coffee & crêpe date with a friend, but being only 6 o'clock i figured why not - and decided to check the late 18th century basilica-turned-temple.
i had the place almost to myself, which seemed to magnify the vastness of the building. i was so confused as to what its actual purpose was, so i had a chat to the little man at the entrance and he more or less told me that it was originally a basilica for christian worship until the late 19th century - when it was given a secular use and turned from a church to a 'resting place' for the ashes of 'the nation's great men'.
there's also a crypt underground, where lies victor hugo & voltaire....as well as léon gambetta's preserved heart. lovely.
such an impressive building & proof that a surprise, un-planned visit can be a great one.
S.
 |
| gambetta's preserved heart |
No comments:
Post a Comment