Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-03
THE FRENCH PANTHEON.

THE FRENCH PANTHEON.
A Temporary Resting Place for Dead
Greatness.
The burial OF Victor Hugo In the Pantheon of
Paris, Monday, calls fresh attention to that
celebrated edifice and its eventful history.
This noble structure stands on the highest
ground In the quarters Of the city on the left
bank OF the Seine occupying the site OF the
tomb OF Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of
Paris, who died in 512. The chapel erected
over her tomb was succeeded by a church,
which having fallen to decay was removed
about the middle Of last century. The present
edifice was completed in 1890, the foundation
| stone having been laid by Louis XIV. in 1854.
The new church was also dedicated to Saint
Genevieve, but in 1871 the convention resolved
| to convert it into q kind of memorial temple,
which they named the pantheon, ;" inscrbing
on it the words "Aur grdnds honsmes la patrie
reconnaissance" This inscription was erased in
| 1922, but renewed in 1880, after the July revo-
| luton. BY decree Of 1851 the original name
Of Eglise Ste. Genevieve was revived, and it
was again set apart for public worship: but the
| old inscription remains, and the familiar re-
| publican name is still used.
| The editlec, which resembles heather tenn
| pie rather than church is of most imposing
dimensions. and it's form is that of a Greek
cross with equal arms, $50 feet long and 1856
feet wide, surrounded by dome 272 feet in
height. The dome rests on n lofty cylinder or
| drum enclosed by an open Corinthian colon
made, and is crowned with lantern. A huge
inthian columns. 81 ieet in height, resembling
that OF the Pantheon at Rome, forms the portico,
| to which eleven steps ascend. The tympanun,
! III feet long and % feet high, contains fine
! group OF sculptures by David d Augers, illus
trative of the inscription mentioned above.
| The principal figure, is feet in height, repre-
| France in n har
who form spirited groups on either side.
To the lett, under the protection of Liberty,
Malesherbes, Mirabeau, Monge and Fenelon;
then Manual; CaTnot, the celebrated gen
eral Of the republic; Berthollet, the chem
yier. Lafayette: Soltalre. Rousseau and
the figure of History. are soldiers of the repub-
| lie and of the empire. with BOnaparte among
@ 3a q lean1s
| drummer boy OF Arcolc as the representative of
youthful bravery. In the angles of the pedi-
ment are students of the University and the
| Under the portico are two groups in marble
by Maindron; one representing Ste. Genevieve
| imp1oring Attlla, the leader of the. Huns, to
spare the city of Paris; the other the baptism of
Clovis by st. Remgius.
Three handsome bronze doors form the en-
trance to the simple but majestic interior OF
this noble edif1ce. On each side Of the aisles is
aCorinthian colonHade, bearing gallery run
edifiee rises the dome, which according to
Sou1hots design was to have rested OH col
umns; put these proved too weak for the weight
| Soufflot in 1871, substituted pillars. connected
by massive arches, for the original columns, to
the detriment however, Of the general effect
produced by the nave. The dome consists OF
| three sections. one above the other, the second
of which is adorned with paintings by eros
| after Gerard, represent Death, France, Jus
tice and Glory. In the right aisle is the chapel
| of Ste. Genevieye, with an altar SurmOunted by
| four angels bearing rellquary, after Pilon.
| The interior OF the Pantheon is now being
decorated with paintings and other works OF
| the most celebrated modern French artists.
Several frescoes have been completed, as fol-
lows, bearing inscriptions: The Childhood OF
Ste. Genevieve. by Puvis de Chavannes-above
which are Faith, Hope, Charity and process
sion of saints; relics OF Ste. denevieve borne in
of the rain in 1896, by Maillot; Baptism OF
Clovis and his Vow at the Battle OF Tolbiac. by
Hans M Louis 1qndns
tive OF the Saracens, by Cabanei, above a pro
tession of saints; Death of Ste. Genevieve, by ).
P: Laurens. The other subjects will be the
March of Attila against Paris, with Ste Gene
| We've Reassuring the People: the Saint distribute
ing Provisions during the Siege; Preaching of
| st. Denis; Martyrdom of st. Denis; Charlemagne
Crowned by Leo III. surrounded by Scholars
and Paladins; Joan OF Arc before Orleans, at
bellished with a mosaic after Chenavard, repre-
senting Christ showing the Angel of France the
| Destiny of the Nation. Lastly. statues Of st.
| Denis, st. Remy, st. German, St. Martin, ST..
| Bernard, st. Jean de Malta. ST. Eloi. st. Gre
| CORY of Tours, st. Vincent de Paul and La Sale
| The mortuary vaults are supported by twenty
pillars. and divided by partitions of masonry.
Mirabeau was the first person whose remains
! were deposited here 1791). and near him was
placed Marat, the most furious of the Jacobins,
| who fell in 1898 by the hand of Charlotte Corday;
| but their bodies were afterwards removed by
order of the convention. In 1871 and 1894
| two painted wooden sarcophagi were erected
| here as monuments to Voltaire and Rousseau,
On the sarcophagus of Rousseau is painted
a hand with burning torch. Both tombs are,
! however, empty, the remains of the two philos-
| ophers having been secretly removed after the
| Restoration and inferred in some unk nown spot
as kind of retaliation for the dissertation OF
the tombs of st. Denis. Opposite VOltaire's
| tomb Is that of SOuf11Ot the architect
of the Pantheon. Among other eminent men
| inferred in the Pantheon were Lagrange,
| the mathematician; Bougainville, the circum-
! navigator: Marshal Lannes, and q number of
senators of the first empire.
The Pantheon was the headquarters Of the in
! surgents in June 1S4S and was also one Of the
| chief strOngholds of the Communists in 1871;
and on both occasions the neighboring barri-
| cades were only stormed by the troops after a
severe struggle. On the latter occasion the in
| surgents had placed gunpowder in the vaults
| for the purpose of blowing up the building, but
| were dislodgeo before much damage had been
| done