A couple of weeks ago, I showed you the photo I took of the famous Golden Dome that sits on top of the Administration Building at Notre Dame University. I hope you saw it. Anyway, a graduate student I met at the library told me I definitely needed to see the dome from the inside. I am glad I took his advice. What you see in this photo is directly underneath the dome, looking up. In some ways, it reminds me of many state capitals I’ve been in as well as some other buildings that have domes. But, like all domes, this has its own uniqueness.
The painting was done by Italian painter and Notre Dame professor Luigi Gregori. It represents Religion, Philosophy, Science, History, Fame, Poetry and Music, all subjects taught at Notre Dame. There is a legend that if a student ascended the steps before graduation, that student was doomed never to graduate. This legend stems from traditionalist smoking rituals. Students were not deemed worthy to climb the steps and smoke with their professors until they received their degrees and were educational equals.
The administration building itself was built in 1879 to replace a previous one that had burned down. The dome was the last feature they added in 1882. The building also houses the Columbus Murals, a group of large paintings depicting the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, also done by Gregori.
It was a wonderful day wandering around this legendary university. It is quite special. If you would like to see a view of the campus from the top of the Golden Dome, just click on this link. I will have some other photos from Notre Dame in future editions. It is indeed a photographer’s playground.
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