Apr 4
What is the significance of the Panthéon on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in Paris?
The Panthéon on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in Paris stands as a neoclassical masterpiece designed by architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, originally built between 1764 and 1790 to honor Sainte-Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. Its transformation from church to national mausoleum during the French Revolution marked a dramatic shift in its significance, housing the remains of France’s most celebrated thinkers, leaders, and heroes. The Panthéon’s first interment occurred on 4 April 1791 with the revolutionary orator Mirabeau—only for his body to be removed amid scandal three years later, illustrating the memorial's turbulent history. Today, seventy men and five women are entombed within its crypt, embodying the ideals and diversity of the French Republic.
