Photo Diary: Domes and churches in Paris

Le Panthéon. Originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of many French greats. The hollowness and grandeur of the building makes one feel very very small indeed. The domes have very good acoustic effects, amplifying every sound and footstep in the entire Pantheon.

There is a swinging pendulum, suspended from the central dome (83m high). The numbers dictate the hours and was used to measure the Earth’s rotation. The swing of the pendulum shifts along the scale, apparently due to the rotation of the Earth, almost as if Earth was spinning about the pendulum itself. There are also murals on every wall, depicting the story of a significant individual, such as St. Joan of Arc.

I went down to the crypts, and it reminded me of Diablo. Very modern and clean looking though, not scary, dirty and filled with fallens.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, a church next to the Pantheon. Every church is similar yet unique in its own way. This church is smaller than the other ones I have seen previously, but not less serene or breathtaking.

Almost done with the sights and scenes of Paris! Only the Eiffel tower left, and that deserves a post of its own.