National Pantheon of Venezuela

National Pantheon of Venezuela
Map
Details
Established27 March 1874
Location
CountryVenezuela
Coordinates10°30′46″N 66°54′45″W / 10.5129°N 66.9126°W / 10.5129; -66.9126
TypePublic
Owned byVenezuelan government

The National Pantheon of Venezuela (Panteón Nacional de Venezuela) is a final resting place for national heroes. The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon,[1] from Greek Pantheon, meaning "Temple of all the Gods") was created in the 1870s on the site of the ruined Santísima Trinidad church from 1744 on the northern edge of the old town of Caracas, Venezuela.

The entire central nave is dedicated to Simón Bolívar, with the altar's place taken by the hero's bronze sarcophagus, while lesser luminaries are relegated to the aisles. The national pantheon's vault is covered with 1930s paintings depicting scenes from Bolívar's life, and the huge crystal chandelier glittering overhead was installed in 1883 on the centennial of his birth. The Pantheon was reopened in 2013 after a 3-year-long process of expansion and restoration.

  1. ^ Rarely Pantheum. This rare usage appears in Pliny's Natural History (XXXVI.38) in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.