pantheon
after the musee rodin and hotel des invalides , i hopped back on the metro to see the pantheon. it was listed in my guidebook as a "top 10" sight and was covered by the museum pass. i am not sure i would have gone if it was not covered with the pass.
after seeing it, i definitely would have been upset to pay for it. i got there around 5:30 since it was open until 6:30, so slightly later than some of the other exhibits and spots. the employee at the door recommended that i go straight to the crypt since that was closing at 6:00. i followed his advice and went to down to the crypt.
the crypt does have a number of interesting people buried down there including:
- marie curie and her husband, pierre
- victor hugo
- emile zola
- louis braille, the inventor of braille, the language for blind people
- rousseau
while down in the crypt, they seemed to be filming something, which involved cranky guards hissing commands like "don't go there" and "no flash." these were not the usual rules, but there were no signs or notices that these were in effect. i will admit this was near the end of a long day, but it just seemed a little uncalled for since it just was around the area they were filming. you have two choices, do it when the building is closed (which was in about 30 minutes anyways) or put a notice.
the history of the building was pretty interesting. how it was a catholic church and then was not and then was again and now just stands as a symbol of the french republic. it was supposed to resemble the pantheon in rome, but is pretty similar to st. paul's cathedral in london. see how the facade is very similar:
the pendulum hanging from the ceiling was pretty interesting to see as it swings and shifts angle every hour. it helped prove that the world was round through its angle shifts.
within the main building space, the building is falling apart and crumbling. it seems to be in the middle of repairs, but it was a little disappointing to see what poor condition they had let the building get into. it looks like the repairs should have happened about a decade ago. the magnificent domes and walls are all in the process of getting repaired. it has got a lot of potential, but needs to be maintained. the main statues seem good shape though.
overall, this was my least favorite stop of the day. the crumbling building and the cranky guards in the crypt combined with the overall positive experiences the rest of the day definitely contributed to the pantheon receiving the lowest grade in paris.
time in museum: 1 hr
times visited: 1
overall: B-
after seeing it, i definitely would have been upset to pay for it. i got there around 5:30 since it was open until 6:30, so slightly later than some of the other exhibits and spots. the employee at the door recommended that i go straight to the crypt since that was closing at 6:00. i followed his advice and went to down to the crypt.
the crypt does have a number of interesting people buried down there including:
- marie curie and her husband, pierre
- victor hugo
- emile zola
- louis braille, the inventor of braille, the language for blind people
- rousseau
while down in the crypt, they seemed to be filming something, which involved cranky guards hissing commands like "don't go there" and "no flash." these were not the usual rules, but there were no signs or notices that these were in effect. i will admit this was near the end of a long day, but it just seemed a little uncalled for since it just was around the area they were filming. you have two choices, do it when the building is closed (which was in about 30 minutes anyways) or put a notice.
the history of the building was pretty interesting. how it was a catholic church and then was not and then was again and now just stands as a symbol of the french republic. it was supposed to resemble the pantheon in rome, but is pretty similar to st. paul's cathedral in london. see how the facade is very similar:
the pendulum hanging from the ceiling was pretty interesting to see as it swings and shifts angle every hour. it helped prove that the world was round through its angle shifts.
within the main building space, the building is falling apart and crumbling. it seems to be in the middle of repairs, but it was a little disappointing to see what poor condition they had let the building get into. it looks like the repairs should have happened about a decade ago. the magnificent domes and walls are all in the process of getting repaired. it has got a lot of potential, but needs to be maintained. the main statues seem good shape though.
overall, this was my least favorite stop of the day. the crumbling building and the cranky guards in the crypt combined with the overall positive experiences the rest of the day definitely contributed to the pantheon receiving the lowest grade in paris.
time in museum: 1 hr
times visited: 1
overall: B-
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