National Pantheon of Venezuela

The National Pantheon of Venezuela (Panteón Nacional de Venezuela) is a final resting place for national heroes. The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon, 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.