The Pantheon was originally designed as a church in honour of Sainte Genevieve commissioned by Louis XV to mark his gratitude after recovering from grave illness.
It was completed in 1790, but with the monarchy having been overthrown it was turned into a pantheon - a place where the tombs of great men would be housed.
It housed the tombs of the orator, Honore Mirabeau; Voltaire; Jean-Jaques Rousseau; Victor Hugo; Emile Zola and the Resistance leader, Jean Moulin.
Interestingly, Maximilien Robespierre had the tomb of Mirabeau removed from the Pantheon when he fell from grace! That is often the lot of politicians and their fickle followers.
OJ
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