Looking Up to the Dome of the Pantheon in Paris
It is strange to be describing the Pantheon to someone else. It looks like a church but it isn’t a church. It is actually a mausoleum that is dedicated to the heroes of the French revolution. In was originally designed to be a church which is why it looks so much like one especially from the inside. One can not help but use terms normally used to describe churches here. The Pantheon as a traditional cruciform layout with the inside of the church being unabashedly Romanesque with the arches which are typical of this architectural style. Missing of course are the religious iconography which are ubiquitous in churches and cathedrals.
Statues on Display at the Pantheon in Paris
If you would imagine that the Pantheon is a cathedral, it would be a small one compared to the others that I have seen so far. The nave itself isn’t that long but at least the ceiling is high enough to give an impression of size to the place. The dome is one of the most prominent features of the Pantheon and the inside can be clearly seen from the inside of the mausoleum. Instead of statues of religious figures that are on display here, there would be figures from the French revolution. I won’t pretend to know any of these figures but some people would be interested to know about them. Just like there would be paintings or tapestries on display in cathedrals or basilica, there are paintings of events in the revolution which are on display here.
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