The National Pantheon of 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 a ruined church on the northern edge of the old town of Caracas, Venezuela.

The entire central nave is dedicated to Simon 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.

List of people who are buried at the Pantheon:
Cecilio Acosta. Writer, journalist and humanist. (5 July 1937).
Jose Angel de Alamo. Doctor, leader of the Independence movement. (9 May 1876).
Francisco de Paula Alcantara. General in the War of Independence. (6 June 1876).
Demetrio Alfaro. Officer in the War of Independence. (28 May 1876).
Lisandro Alvarado. Doctor. (14 May 1980).
Raimundo Andueza. Lawyer, soldier and politician, father of President Raimundo Andueza Palacio. (2 September 1881).
Francisco Aranda. Politician. (18 May 1898).
Juan Bautista Arismendi. Officer in the War of Independence. (29 January 1877).
Jesús María Aristeguieta. Military officer and politician in the War of Independence. (18 March 1890).
Carlos Arvelo. Doctor and politician. (16 December 1942).
Rafael Arvelo. Journalist. (12 July 1877).
Francisco de Paula Avendaño. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 March 1966).
Rafael María Baralt. Writer and historian; ambassador to Spain. (23 November 1982).
Jose Miguel Barcelo. Military of the Federal War. (14 May 1878).
Pedro Barcenas. Doctor and officer in the War of Independence. (5 November 1877).
Víctor Barret de Nazarís. Military and politician of the Federal War. (25 August 1896).
Renato Beluche. Sailor in the Venezuelan Navy during the War of Independence. (22 July 1963).
Jose Francisco Bermúdez. Officer in the War of Independence. (24 October 1877).
Pedro Bermúdez Cousín. Lawyer, soldier and politician. (30 December 1875).
Andres Eloy Blanco. Poet and politician. (2 July 1981).
Jose Felix Blanco. Priest. (3 July 1896).
Manuel Blanco. Sailor who fought with both San Martín and Simon Bolívar. (15 April 1876).
Rufino Blanco Fombona. Writer and politician. (23 June 1975).
Simon Bolívar. Liberator of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Venezuela. (28 October 1876).
Justo Briceño. Officer in the War of Independence. (21 May 1876).
Mario Briceño Iragorry. Historian, writer and diplomat. (6 March 1991).
Domingo Briceño y Briceño. Lawyer, journalist and writer. (6 May 1876).
Luis Brion. Official of the Venezuelan Navy. (10 April 1882).
Blas Bruzual. Military, politician and journalist. (16 August 1889).
Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual. Military and politician. (13 November 1872).
Lorenzo Bustillos. Officer in the War of Independence. (17 February 1877).
Luisa Caceres de Arismendi. Patriot and Heroine of the Venezuelan War of Independence. (14 August 1876).
Josefa Venancio de la Encarnacion Camejo. Heroine in the War of Independence.
Francisco Carabaño Aponte. Officer in the War of Independence. (18 May 1876).
Teresa Carreño. Pianist and composer. (9 December 1977).
Jose de la Cruz Carrillo. Officer in the War of Independence. (15 December 1971).
Carlos Luis Castelli. Officer in the War of Independence. (11 May 1876).
Juan Francisco del Castillo. Lawyer, military and politician. (2 July 1893).
Pedro Camejo. Known by his nickname Negro Primero, hero of the War of Independence and fought with Simon Bolívar till his untimely death in the Battle of Carabobo. (24 June 2015)
Cipriano Castro. Military and President of Venezuela. (6 December 2002).
Manuel Cedeño. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 December 1942).
Lino de Clemente. Official of the Venezuelan navy. (21 July 1961).
Agostino Codazzi. Military, scientist, geographer and cartographer.(16 December 1942).
Juan Fermín Colmenares. Military and politician at the Federal War. (20 August 1881).
Juan Jose Conde. Officer in the War of Independence. (19 May 1876).
Jose María Delgado Correa. (20 May 1876).
Manuel María Echeandía. (18 April 1876).
Juan Crisostomo Falcon. Soldier, politician, and President of Venezuela. (1 May 1874).
Leon de Febres Cordero. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 December 1942).
Carmelo Fernandez. Officer in the War of Independence. (18 August 1983).
Fernando Figueredo. Officer in the War of Independence. (29 June 1937).
Alejo Fortique. Politician and diplomat. (30 April 1876).
Romulo Gallegos. Writer and politician, President of Venezuela. (3 May 1994).
Juan Garces. Soldier in the war of Independence. (26 November 1934).
Jose María García. Navy officer in the War of Independence. (15 August 1896).
Valentín García. Officer in the War of Independence. (27 April 1961).
Miguel Gil. Soldier in the War of Independence. (5 August 1876).
Francisco Esteban Gomez. Officer in the War of Independence. (20 August 1881).
Jose de Jesús Gonzalez. Military leader of the Federal War. (22 April 1897).
Tomas Green. (24 August 1876).
Guaicaipuro. Indigenous chief. (9 December 2001).
Juan Bautista Guerra Carrillo.
Manuel María Guevara. (10 August 1877).
Antonio Leocadio Guzman. Politician and journalist. (18 November 1884).
Antonio Guzman Blanco. Military, lawyer and President of Venezuela. (1999).
Tomas de Heres. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 December 1942).
Francisco Hurtado. (26 May 1876).
Andres Ibarra. Officer in the War of Independence. (24 August 1875).
Diego Ibarra. Officer in the War of Independence. (20 October 1876).
Francisco de Ibarra. Priest. (9 November 1880).
Juan Domingo del Sacramento Infante. Bricklayer, constructor of the Santísima Trinidad Church (Current National Pantheon). (13 December 1780).
Tomas Lander. Journalist, farmer, politician, and propagator of liberal thought. President of Venezuela (5 April 1884).
Jose Prudencio Lanz. (21 April 1876).
Jacinto Lara. Officer in the War of Independence. (24 July 1911).
Francisco Lazo Martí. Doctor and poet. (27 October 1983).
Andres Olimpo Level. Magistrate, lawyer, politician and journalist. Active in the War of Independence. (28 November 1876).
Francisco Linares Alcantara. Soldier and politician, President of Venezuela. (4 December 1878).
Enrique Luzon. German-born and originally named Heinrich von Lützow Officer in the War of Independence. (12 December 1877).
Jose Tomas Machado. Official of the Venezuelan Navy. (16 December 1942).
Vicente Marcano. Engineer, chemist and geologist. (10 July 1991).
Santiago Mariño. Officer in the War of Independence. (1 January 1877).
Zoilo Medrano. Farmer leader of the Federal War. (22 April 1897).
Ramon Ignacio Mendez de la Barta. Priest, lawyer and politician during the Independence War.(16 December 1942).
Arturo Michelena. Painter. (29 July 1948).
Guillermo Michelena Salías. Doctor, university professor, and science writer. (10 November 1891).
Carlos Minchin. Officer in the War of Independence. (4 June 1879).
Francisco de Miranda. Venezuelan revolutionary before Bolívar, participant in the American Revolution and the French Revolution.
Jose Gregorio Monagas. General in the War of Independence, President of Venezuela, Liberator of the slaves. (13 November 1872).
Jose Tadeo Monagas. Military leader, President of Venezuela. (17 May 1877).
Mariano Montilla. Officer in the War of Independence. (3 July 1896).
Juan de Dios Monzon. Doctor, soldier and politician. (20 April 1876).
Jose Trinidad Moran. Writer and officer in the War of Independence. (3 December 1954).
Tomas Muñoz y Ayala. (14 June 1892).
Pedro Navarro Bolet. (29 January 1878).
Carlos Núñez. Member of the Patriotic Society during the Independence. (17 February 1877).
Daniel Florencio O'Leary. Irish officer serving in the Venezuelan and Colombian army during the War of Independence. (10 April 1882).
Manuel German Ojeda Muñiz. (20 December 1875).
Jose Manuel Olivares. Officer in the War of Independence. (14 May 1876).
Jose Antonio Paez. General-in-Chief of Venezuelan Independence. (19 April 1888).
Miguel Palacio Fajardo. Doctor and lawyer. Officer in the War of Independence. (1876).
Juan Antonio Paredes Angulo. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 September 1960).
Francisco Vicente Parejo. Officer in the War of Independence. (18 May 1876).
Ana Teresa Parra Sanojo. Writer. (7 November 1989).
Jesús María Paúl. (11 February 1877).
Miguel Peña. Lawyer and politician. (24 July 1911).
Fernando Peñalver. Signer of the Act of Independence. (3 July 1896).
Juan Antonio Perez Bonalde. Poet. (14 February 1946).
Manuel Piar. General in chief of the army during the Independence War.
Gabriel Picon Gonzalez. Officer in the War of Independence. (23 June 1975).
Judas Tadeo Piñango. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 December 1942).
Simon Planas. Politician. (26 August 1877).
Jose Ignacio Pulido del Pumar. Officer in the War of Independence. (15 January 1881).
Jose Luis Ramos. Humanist, founder of the Literary journalism. (16 August 1889).
Rafael Rangel. Scientist who studied tropical diseases. (20 August 1977).
Luis Razetti. Doctor and surgeon. (23 June 1982).
Jose Rafael Revenga. Lawyer. (22 December 1969).
Pedro Rodríguez. (12 December 1879).
Simon Rodríguez. Bolívar's teacher. (28 February 1954).
Francisco Rodríguez del Toro. Officer in the War of Independence. (9 May 1851)
Donato Rodríguez Silva. Military and politician of the Federal War. (22 April 1897).
Arístides Rojas. Naturalist. (22 September 1983).
Cristobal Rojas. Painter. (27 December 1958).
Pedro Manuel Rojas Mercado. Military leader of the Federal War. (10 August 1876).
Juan Jose Rondon. Officer in the War of Independence. (25 August 1896).
Manuela Saenz. Heroine in the Latin American wars of independence, helped in the struggle for Peruvian independence and for women's rights and was responsible for saving Simon Bolívar from an assassination attempt in 1828. (5 July 2010)
Bartolome Salom. Officer in the War of Independence. (5 July 1909).
Tomas Jose Sanabria y Melean. Lawyer and politician. (1 January 1896).
Luis Sanojo. Lawyer and politician. (22 June 1978).
Jose Laurencio Silva. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 December 1942).
Juan Antonio Sotillo. Officer in the War of Independence. (9 January 1878).
Carlos Soublette. Officer in the War of Independence, President of Venezuela. (7 February 1970).
Fermín Toro. Politician, writer and diplomat. (23 April 1876).
Pedro Leon Torres. Officer in the War of Independence. (16 August 1889).
Martín Tovar y Tovar. Painter. (22 September 1983).
Jose Vicente de Unda. Priest. (16 December 1942).
Diego Bautista Urbaneja Sturdy. Lawyer and colonel. (22 October 1876).
Adolfo Urdaneta. Son of Rafael Urdaneta. (24 November 1876)
Rafael Urdaneta. General Officer of the War of Independence. (16 May 1876).
Wenceslao Urrutia. Lawyer and politician. (20 April 1876).
Juan Uslar. German-born and originally named Johan Von Usler, in 1819 he brought more than 300 soldiers to aid the Venezuelans in their fight for independence. (16 December 1942).
Jose María Vargas. Doctor and surgeon, President of Venezuela. (27 April 1877).
Miguel Antonio Vasquez. Officer in the War of Independence. (c. 1920).
Jose Joaquín Veroes. Colonel in the War of Independence. (16 December 1942).
Francisco Javier Yanez. (1876).
Jose Ramon Yepez. Official of the Venezuelan Navy. (22 August 1949).
Ezequiel Zamora. Military leader of the Federal War. (13 November 1872)
Miguel Zarraga. Officer in the War of Independence. (10 May 1876).
The following personalities in the preceding list are not buried in the Pantheon because their remains have not been found, but it has been decreed by the Venezuelan authorities they should be:
Francisco de Miranda. First leader of the Venezuelan Independence, participant at the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution.
Josefa Camejo. Heroine of the Independence War.
Guaicaipuro. Indigenous chief that fought against the Spaniards.
Manuel Piar. General in chief of the army during the Independence War.
The following person is not buried in the Pantheon but an empty tomb is kept there, next to Simon Bolivar's in the hopes that his remains will return to his homeland:
Antonio Jose de Sucre. Hero of the South American Independence War, second President of Bolivia

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Caracas, officially Santiago de Leon de Caracas, is the capital, the center of the Greater Caracas Area, and the largest city of Venezuela. Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa). Terrain suitable for building lies between 760 and 910 m (2,490 and 2,990 ft) above sea level. The valley is close to the Caribbean Sea, separated from the coast by a steep 2,200 m (7,200 ft) high mountain range, Cerro El Avila; to the south there are more hills and mountains.

The Metropolitan District of Caracas is made up of five municipalities: Libertador Municipality which is the only administrative division of the Venezuelan Capital District, and four other municipalities, which are within in Miranda State: Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, and El Hatillo. Libertador holds many of the government buildings and is the Capital District (Distrito Capital). The Distrito Capital had a population of 2,013,366 as of 2011, while the Metropolitan District of Caracas was estimated at 3,273,863 as of (2013). The Metropolitan Region of Caracas has an estimated population of 5,243,301.

Businesses that are located in the city include service companies, banks, and malls, among others. It has a largely service-based economy, apart from some industrial activity in its metropolitan area.[3] The Caracas Stock Exchange and Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) are headquartered in Caracas. PDVSA is the largest company in Venezuela. Caracas is also Venezuela's cultural capital, with many restaurants, theaters, museums, and shopping centers. Some of the tallest skyscrapers in Latin America are located in Caracas.

At the time of the founding of the city in 1567,[4] the valley of Caracas was populated by indigenous peoples. Francisco Fajardo, the son of a Spanish captain and a Guaiqueri cacica, attempted to establish a plantation in the valley in 1562 after founding a series of coastal towns. Fajardo's settlement did not last long. It was destroyed by natives of the region led by Terepaima and Guaicaipuro. This was the last rebellion on the part of the natives. On 25 July 1567, Captain Diego de Losada laid the foundations of the city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas. The foundation − 1567 – "I take possession of this land in the name of God and the King" These were the words of Don Diego de Losada in founding the city of Caracas on 25 July 1567. In 1577 Caracas became the capital of the Spanish Empire's Venezuela Province under Governor Juan de Pimentel (1576–1583).

During the 17th century, the coast of Venezuela was frequently raided by pirates. With the coastal mountains as a barrier, Caracas was relatively immune to such attacks. However, in 1595, around 200 English privateers including George Sommers and Amyas Preston crossed the mountains through a little-used pass while the town's defenders were guarding the more often-used one. Encountering little resistance, the invaders sacked and set fire to the town after a failed ransom negotiation.

As the cocoa cultivation and exports under the Compañía Guipuzcoana de Caracas grew in importance, the city expanded. In 1777, Caracas became the capital of the Captaincy General of Venezuela.

Jose María España and Manuel Gual led an attempted revolution aimed at independence, but the rebellion was put down on 13 July 1797. Caracas was ultimately the site of the signing of a Declaration of Independence on 5 July 1811. In 1812, an earthquake destroyed Caracas. The revolutionary war continued until 24 June 1821, when Bolívar defeated royalists in the Battle of Carabobo.

Caracas grew in economic importance during Venezuela's oil boom in the early 20th century. During the 1950s, Caracas began an intensive modernization program which continued throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. The Universidad Central de Venezuela, designed by modernist architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and declared World Heritage by UNESCO, was built. New working- and middle-class residential districts sprouted in the valley, extending the urban area toward the east and southeast. Joining El Silencio, also designed by Villanueva, were several workers' housing districts, 23 de Enero and Simon Rodriguez. Middle-class developments include Bello Monte, Los Palos Grandes, Chuao, and El Cafetal. The dramatic change in the economic structure of the country, which went from being primarily agricultural to dependent on oil production, stimulated the fast development of Caracas, and made it a magnet for people in rural communities who migrated to the capital city in an unplanned fashion searching for greater economic opportunity. This migration created the rancho (slum) belt of the valley of Caracas.