As a mausoleum goes, the Panthéon is a gorgeous one. Recently, four heroes and heroines of the Resistance were newly interred by the President of the Republic – although two of them were symbolic interments – and as part of the celebration, the Panthéon was free to visit over a few days. We took advantage of it to visit the building itself, rather than jostling through the long queues at the crypt.

Random facts: (1) there are now 4 women with places of honour in the Panthéon; (2) until 1995, the only woman interred was present solely because her husband was interred here; (3) in 1995, Marie Curie won a spot of honour based on her contribution to Science; (4) it would be another 20 years before 2 more women joined the rank, and (5) one of these two women was a niece of Charles de Gaulle.