PARIS (NEXSTAR) – Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the Panthéon has become a popular stop for visitors.
“We’re standing in front of a building that looks like a church and smells like a church and in many ways feels like a church, but absolutely isn’t a church,” said Russell Williams, an associate professor at the American University of Paris.
And while the Panthéon was originally intended to be a church, it was voted in 1791 to become a mausoleum for distinguished French citizens.
Many of France’s well-known writers, philosophers and filmmakers, like Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Rousseau, Voltaire and Emile Zola, were laid to rest within the walls of the Panthéon.
In the mid-1990s the crypt finally included important French female figures.
“So, you’ve got the remains of Marie Curie, the famous scientist, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize,” Williams said. “Most recently in 2021, the cabaret singer turned political activist and French resistance Josephine Baker was moved here.”
For some breathtaking views, you can also climb the 83 steps to the two terraces overlooking the Left Bank.
