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Le Panthéon
The Panthéon is a monument on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, in the heart of the Latin Quarter. It is surrounded notably by the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the Sainte-Geneviève library, the universities Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas, the town hall of the 5th arrondissement and the Lycée Henri-IV.
A neoclassical building turned national necropolis, it houses in its crypt the tombs of figures who marked the history of France, among them Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Pierre and Marie Curie, Louis Braille, Alexandre Dumas, Simone Veil and Josephine Baker. Tactile and sound devices ease the visit for people with disabilities, notably before Louis Braille's tomb.
Under the dome hangs a replica of the Foucault pendulum, by a cable of 67 metres; the original is kept at the Musée des Arts et Métiers. A climb to the dome, with about 200 steps and accompaniment by an attendant, offers a panorama over Paris in the fine season.
The visit is aimed at all those interested in history, architecture and the great figures of the Republic. The monument is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux.
