Louis XV vowed to construct a church dedicated to Sainte Geneviève when he recovered from an illness, and he asked the architect Soufflot to draw up the plans for this magnificent edifice.  Work on the church began in 1757, but Soufflot died before it was completed in 1789.
 
Built in the shape of a Greek cross and topped with a lantern, the building is 130 m long, 82 m wide and 83 m high.  This sumptuous monument in the neo-classical style (Corinthian columns of the peristyle resembling the Pantheon in Rome) reflect the architecture of the times and its love of greatness.
 
During the French Revolution the Church of Sainte Geneviève was secularized and became a temple dedicated to great statesmen, as reflected by the bas relief sculpture on the pediment, showing France bestowing crowns of laurel with the inscription ìFrom a grateful motherland to the great men of Franceî.
 
Mirabeau was the first great man to be buried in the Pantheon, which would also become the tomb of Voltaire and Rousseau.  The building was restored to its original purpose for a time before being made definitively a temple in 1885 when Victor Hugo was entombed there.  Pierre and Marie Curie were the last to be buried in this highly symbolic monument.

Books:   

Tour from the Sorbonne to Saint Séverin: preferably by foot, to enjoy all its richness.  More restful than the morningís jogging route, this itinerary will take you to the most famous avant-garde cinema: the Champo. 
  
The tour continues on to the place de la Sorbonne, rue Victor Cousin, rue Cujas and a climb to the top of the Pantheonís dome to get an exceptional view of Paris.  On up Montagne Sainte Geneviève street and through a labyrinth of steep alleysÖ 
  
Then come the mythical rue de la Huchette and Xavier Privas, Saint Séverin and Boutebrie streets, an area where the aromas of Greek cuisine will tempt your nostrils.And finally, here we are at the Saint Séverin church and the Cluny gardens. 

For jazz fans: 

WALK THROUGH THE GARDENS OF THE 5th DISTRICT (2nd PART)
Starting in Saint Médard square, once a cemetery where miracles were performed on the tomb of François de Pâris by his followers, and ending at the Paris Mosque with its Spanish-Moorish gardens, this stroll through the discreet charms of the 5th district will lead to the discovery of little known gardens such as Scipion square, the square on Poliveau street and Robert Montagne square.

THE MEDIEVAL GARDEN AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MIDDLE AGES
At the intersection of Saint Michel and Saint Germain boulevards, an entirely renovated garden provides a natural introduction to the museum of the Middle Ages.  It includes a vegetable garden, ìsingleî flower beds and ìa thousand flowersî tapestries in a walled garden along with modern interpretations of writings and objects from the medieval period, including the famous ìThe Lady and the Unicornî tapestry.  At the end of visit you ñand your tour guideócan identify many of the plants in the garden on the superb ìthousand flowersî tapestries exhibited in the museum, including the ìVie Seigneurialeî and ìThe Lady and the Unicornî tapestries.

THE LUXEMBOURG GARDENS
Playgrounds and above all the puppet Guignol.
Between Guyemer street and Saint Michel Boulevard, in the 6th district of Paris.
75006 Paris 
 

THE MENAGERIE OF THE JARDIN DES PLANTES
National Museum of Natural History
57, rue Cuvier 
75005 Paris 
 
PONT SULLY ñ 1874/1876 
The interesting aspect of this construction is that it is made up of two autonomous metal bridges both ending at the tip of the Saint Louis island.  The right-bank bridge spanning the smaller arm of the Seine has a 42 m central iron arch and two 15 m side masonry arches (vaulted arches).  The left-bank bridge spanning the larger arm has three iron arches measuring 46 m, 49 m and 46 m.

FONTAINE SAINT SULPICE 
Place Saint Sulpice 
75006 Paris 

FONTAINE SAINT GERMAIN 
Place du Québec 
75006 Paris 
The fountain represents the explosion of the square, lifted up the force of the water. 

CHURCH OF SAINT SEVERIN 
1, rue des Prêtres Saint Séverin 
75005 Paris 
Tel : 01.42.34.93.50 
Fax : 01.42.34.93.60 
Construction begun in the 12th century.
Note the gate, the famous palm-branch vaults and the stained-glass windows
 
CHURCH OF SAINT SULPICE 
Church founded by the Saint Germain des Près abbey.
The great Delacroix frescoes are found here.

CHURCH OF SAINT ETIENNE DU MONT 
Place du Panthéon 
75005 Paris 
Tel : 01.43.54.11.39 
Fax : 01.43.25.38.49 
This church, built in the 15th century, is the only one in Paris with a rood-screen.
It also holds the tomb of Sainte Geneviève. 

CHURCH OF SAINT GERMAIN DES PRES 
3, place Saint Germain des Près 
75006 Paris  
Tel : 01.43.25.41.71 
Fax : 01.46.3315.05 
The oldest Romanesque abbey church in Paris.
 
PANTHEON 
Place du Panthéon 
75005 paris 
Tel : 01.44.32.18.00 
Fax : 01.44.70.32.23 
A masterpiece designed by Soufflot (1712-1780).  Once a church, the Pantheon was designated a mausoleum for the ìgreat men of Franceî during the  Revolution.  Among those entombed in the Pantheon are Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Zola, Jaurès, Moulin and Malraux.Visits of the nave, upper levels and crypt.  Permanent exhibits: Foucaultís clock, exhibits from Voltaire to Malraux.
 
MUSEUM OF NOTRE DAME DE PARIS CATHEDRAL 
Tel : 01.43.25.42.92 
History of the cathedral and life on the Ile de la Cité since the time of Lutetia, illustrated by objects found in the archeological crypt.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL CRYPT BENEATH NOTRE DAME SQUARE
Tel : 01.43.29.83.51 
The largest archeological crypt in Europe is located beneath the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.  This crypt contains foundations and vestiges of buildings constructed between the Gallo-Roman era and the 17th century.  Dioramas and models illustrate the origins of Paris.

INSTITUT DE FRANCE 
23, quai Conti 
75006 Paris 
Tel : 01.44.41.44.41 
Fax : 01.44.41.43.41 
The Institut de France encourages the Arts, Literature and Science.  It includes five learned societies: the Académie Française (1635); Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (1663); Sciences (1666); Beaux-Arts (1816) and Sciences Morales et Politiques (1795).  The Academy of Beaux-Arts is in fact the result of the union between the painting and sculpture academy (founded in 1648) and the architecture academy (founded by Colbert in 1671), while the Academy of  ìSciences Morales et Politiquesî, indeed founded in 1795, was eradicated in 1803 and reestablished in 1832. 

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS 
6, place du Parvis de Notre Dame 
75004 Paris 
tel : 01.42.34.56.10 
Fax : 01.40.51.70.98 
Notre Dame Cathedral, a masterpiece of gothic art designed by Maurice de Sully, was constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries (1163-1345) and restored by Viollet le Duc in the 19th century.Distances on French roads are calculated from the ì0 kmî point in Notre Dame square.
 

 

LUTETIA AMPHITHEATER 
47, rue Monge 
75005 Paris 
The only vestiges of the Gallo-Roman visible in Paris, aside from the Cluny Thermes.Constructed between the 1st and 2nd century.  The emplacements of the circus and theater are visible.

MIDDLE AGES ñ THERMES DE CLUNY 
6, place du Painlevé 
75005 Paris 
Tel : 01.53.73.78.16 
Fax : 01.46.34.51.75 
Travel through nearly 15 centuries of history, from Gallo-Roman times to the 15th century.  The museum includes vestiges of the Lutetia baths (thermae) of the 2nd century.  Collection of embroideries, tapestries (The Lady and the Unicorn), sculptures, etc.
 
CENTRE DE LA MER ET DES EAUX 
Institut Océanographique 
195, rue Saint Jacques 
75005 Paris 
Tel : 01.44.32.10.90/94 
Fax : 01.40.51.73.16 
Discover the ocean world.  Exhibits, presentations, models, reconstitution of underwater seascapes, interactive exhibits and audiovisual aids. 
 

 

EUGENE DELACROIX NATIONAL MUSEUM
6, rue de Furstenberg 
75006 Paris 
Paintings, drawings, watercolors, pastels, sketches and preliminary studies presented in the artistís apartment-studio, along with letters and photographs of his family and friends.