The Panthéon, nestled in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France, crowns the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the heart of the Place du Panthéon. Constructed between 1758 and 1790 by the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot at the request of King Louis XV, its original purpose was to serve as a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, Paris's patron saint. However, the completion of this vision outlasted both Soufflot and King Louis XV, as the French Revolution dawned during the final stages of construction.
With the revolution in full swing, the National Constituent Assembly redirected the Panthéon's destiny in 1791, transforming it into a mausoleum for esteemed French citizens. This transformation drew inspiration from Rome's Pantheon, which had served a similar purpose for centuries. The Panthéon underwent several transitions between secular and religious functions in the 19th century until 1881 when the French Third Republic declared it exclusively a mausoleum.
Victor Hugo's interment in 1885 marked a significant moment, highlighting the Panthéon's renewed purpose. The evolving roles of the Panthéon triggered alterations to its architectural elements, including changes to the pedimental sculptures and the dome's crown, sometimes bearing a cross or a flag. Despite these modifications, the Panthéon remains an early example of Neoclassicism, featuring a dome influenced by Bramante's Tempietto.
In 1851, Léon Foucault's groundbreaking demonstration of diurnal motion with a suspended pendulum underscored the Panthéon's scientific significance. As of December 2021, the Panthéon holds the remains of 81 notable individuals, with a majority of panthéonisations occurring during Napoleon's First Empire.