The Capitol in Washington is a symbol of freedom and democracy. What interesting things does the Capitol in Washington have to offer? Where is the Capitol located?

The Washington Capitol is one of the most important and recognizable landmarks of the main US city. Every year, millions of people visit the American capital to see the symbol of the country's democracy. The most notable decoration is considered to be the Apotheosis of Washington - a fresco crowning the dome of the rotunda.

The history of the Capitol dates back to 1792. The then president, George Washington, expressed a desire to build a new government building and announced a competition for the position of chief architect. Less than a year later, construction began, and already in 1800 the first meeting was held in the building.

Over the course of more than 200 years of history, the government building has acquired a number of interesting facts. Here are some of them:

• the main architect of the building is a Scot;
• The first stone for the construction was laid by the President himself;
• The Capitol is named after the hill on which it is located;
• the building was repeatedly destroyed;
• the structure lends itself to regular reconstruction;
• the Capitol Rotunda is America's most recognizable landmark;
• the building has been featured in hundreds of films.

Dimensions and location of the fresco

The mural of the Apotheosis of Washington is located in the rotunda. It decorates the inside of the building's dome. The distance from the floor to the image is exactly 55 meters. The area of ​​the fresco is 433.3 m².

The figure shows figures of different sizes. The maximum height is 4.6 m. You can see the painting from the lower floors or the main hall. From here it opens best view on The Apotheosis of Washington.

History of creation

The rotunda itself was erected in 1863. Immediately after completion of construction, specialists began decorating the interior. The author of the famous fresco was the Italian artist Brumidi. For several years he worked in the Vatican and collaborated with local aristocrats. Later, the creator immigrated to the USA and devoted his life to the main attraction of Washington.

It took the master a little less than a year to create the masterpiece. And to be precise - 11 months. For the work, the artist received considerable money at that time - 40 thousand dollars. Brumidi is also the author of other images in the Capitol.

What will the fresco tell us?

The name was chosen for a reason. The fact is that it portrays George Washington as God, thereby creating a kind of apotheosis, that is, the deification of man. This artist’s decision has a deep meaning.

Washington became the first president of independent America, so in the picture he occupies a central place and stands in the image of the liberator of the United States. Next to him, hand in hand, walk the goddess of victory - Victoria and Freedom. The first is dressed in green robes, the second is crowned with a Phrygian cap. So the author focuses on the emancipation of the country. Both goddesses are the main symbols of the long-term war for independence.

The scenes in the painting also include drawings of 13 women. They are located in a circle and adjacent to the central character of the fresco. Virgos represent the American colonies. Some of them have their backs turned, symbolizing the separation of several colonies.

Along the edge of the fresco six mythical scenes are depicted, each of which carries certain national concepts. They are called "War", "Trade", "Science", "Agriculture", "Shipping" and "Technology". To view the scenes, you need to go up a couple of floors, since they are not fully visible from the floor.

How to get to the Capitol and see the mural?

Even though the Washington Capitol is a government building, anyone can enter it. In total, the building has 540 rooms, of which two halls are open to tourists, including the rotunda with the Apotheosis of Washington.

Entry is free for everyone. However, you still have to take a ticket. It is issued at a special cash desk upon presentation of a passport. The ticket office is open only in the mornings, from 9.00 to 10.00. You can visit the attraction throughout the day, but it is better to do it before the first half. After lunch, as a rule, there is a large influx of schoolchildren and students.

You can explore the interior of the building and admire its beauty on your own, but it is better to do this as part of an excursion group. That's how you'll know detailed history creation of the Capitol and Apotheosis and hear interesting and unknown facts.

There are a number of rules to follow when visiting a government building. It is strictly prohibited:

• carry weapons, drugs, flammable substances and other prohibited items;
• come in with food and drinks;
• attempt to enter premises not intended for excursions.

Attention! For non-compliance with the rules, the violator is asked to immediately leave the building, and in some cases may even be fined.

A complex of monumental buildings in Washington, the seat of the US Congress. Located on Capitol Hill.

The history of Washington's Capitol as a symbol of government power dates back to the US Constitution of 1787. It called for a special territory not to exceed 10 square miles (16 square kilometers), and a plot of land on the banks of the Potomac River was chosen for the Capitol.

The site was chosen by the French engineer Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who developed the urban plan for Washington in the early 1790s. In 1792, he was removed from business.

In March of the same year, a competition for construction projects was announced American Capitol, but all 16 proposed options were rejected.

However, in the fall of 1792, a belated design by William Thornton, an amateur architect from the British West Indies, was approved. President George Washington liked its “grandeur, simplicity and convenience.”

Soon the groundbreaking ceremony took place. On September 18, 1793, George Washington laid the first stone of the United States Capitol at the southeast corner of its base.

The north wing was completed in 1800, the south - seven years later, under the direction of Benjamin Latrobe, who was the chief architect of the complex in the years 1803-1818. He managed to build the hall of the House of Representatives and began rebuilding the north wing. But in 1813, due to the second war with Great Britain (1812-1815), construction was mothballed.

In August 1814, British troops marched on Washington, where they set fire to many buildings, including the Capitol. The fire burned out most of the buildings.

Over the next few years, Latrobe worked to restore the destruction.
Money was tight, and disagreements over whether to dome the ceilings of the Senate and House of Representatives led to Latrobe's resignation.

The construction of the central part between the wings, above which the dome now rises, was led by the Boston architect Charles Bulfinch. He managed to rebuild the premises Supreme Court, the Senate chamber and the House chamber.
The last part of the Capitol, the Eastern Open Gallery, was completed in 1826. For the next four years, work was carried out here on landscape design, small architectural forms, and the construction of the fence and gates of the Capitol.

In 1830, the construction of the Capitol was officially completed. But alterations and additions continued.

As the territory of the United States grew and the number of legislators increased, there was a constant need to expand the Capitol. The tender for this work was won by the famous Philadelphia architect Thomas Walter. In 14 years, he managed to more than double the size of the Capitol, erect an iron dome and decorate the interior.

The original dome was modeled after the Roman Pantheon. The new (hemispherical) one was installed using steam cranes in 1859. The inside of the Capitol dome is decorated with the first fresco in the United States - “The Apotheosis of Washington” by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi.

In December 1863, to the sound of a military salute, a bronze statue representing freedom was installed on top of the Capitol.

The parliamentary complex where the US Congress works - the Capitol (the official name of the structure is the United States Capitol) is located on Capitol Hill in Washington. The hill is named after the Capitolium hill of the same name in Rome, where the Roman legislative power worked in the Capitoline Temple - the Senate met and public meetings were held.

The first stone of the Washington Capitol was laid by President George Washington on September 18, 1793.

Several years ago, the American government radio station Voice of America, in a special report, spoke in detail about the fact that the Capitol was built with the help of black slaves. It's not very known fact, but we may offer this report later. Now we want to give a broader picture and will bring to your attention another material from the Voice of America, which gives a general outline of the history of the creation of the Capitol. Let us only mention that the Capitol is the tallest building in Washington (In the city there is an actual ban on the construction of buildings taller than the Capitol, although in current law from 1910, regulating the maximum height of buildings, the name of the Capitol itself is not mentioned, but only digital calculations are given. Even higher than the Capitol in the American capital is only the spire of the Presidential Washington Monument, but this monument in honor of the first American president is a special architectural structure).

History of the Washington Capitol

Archival illustration: View of the Capitol and the Mall Avenue leading from it, leading to the spire-shaped George Washington Monument. On the right in the foreground is the building belonging to the Senate, and in the center of the foreground is the building of the Supreme Court.

“The French engineer Pierre Charles Lanfant, who was working on plans for the new city of Washington, chose the highest hill in the city for the construction of the Congress building. (He called this hill, and it was Capitol Hill, “a pedestal for a monument” - approx. website). And he decided that the cathedral - parliament should be crowned with a huge dome!

The decision to build this building, a symbol of federal power, was laid down in the Constitution of 1787, which stated the need to erect a government building on an area not exceeding 16 square kilometers. This place became a plot of land on the banks of the Potomac River.

It is known that Lanfant was greatly influenced by the Baroque style of the gardens and parks of Versailles, and in this vein he developed an ambitious plan for the American capital with wide diagonal lines of avenues. City squares, squares and parks have become the foundations of the Washington landscape. But for some reasons unexplained in history books, Lanfant was removed from work in 1792. They write that the Frenchman, who loved to shock the public, refused to present a plan for the construction of the Capitol, citing the fact that he kept it in his head. Agree that such a statement will cause, to put it mildly, misunderstanding for any official. Where's the paper?

In short, after Lanfant’s removal, a competition was announced for a new architect and a reward of as much as 500 dollars. Oddly enough, proposals did not rain down - only 16 projects were presented - and all of them were weaker than the other. They had to choose an amateur architect, William Thornton, who by this time was 34 years old. He received his medical training in Scotland, but discovered a talent for architecture and draftsmanship. Thornton's design, designed in the Palladian style of an early 18th century English country house, was approved by George Washington himself. And in August 1793, construction began.

It must be said that the construction of the Capitol, which lasted a total of 38 years, faced many problems from the very beginning. In 1803, the brilliant specialist Henry Latrobe was appointed chief architect. He managed to build the Hall of the House of Representatives and began rebuilding the north wing. But in 1813, due to the second war with Great Britain, construction was mothballed.

In 1815 Latrobe returned to Washington. And what appeared before the eyes of the architect? Ruin. A huge fire caused by British troops destroyed his brainchild, the Capitol. I had to do a lot all over again. But despite his heroic work in rebuilding the Capitol, Latrobe was removed from office because he was found to be spending too much on materials.

The next architect comes onto the scene - Charles Bulfinch, who managed to rebuild the premises of the Supreme Court, the room for the Senate and the hall of the House of Representatives. But a year earlier he had begun construction on the long-awaited central part of the Capitol. The sketches of Thornton and Latrobe were taken as a basis, but Bulfinch remade them to his own taste.

The last part of the Capitol - the Eastern Open Gallery - was completed in 1826. For the next 4 years, work was carried out here on the landscape design, small architectural forms, and the construction of the fence and gates of the Capitol.

And finally, in 1830, the construction of the Capitol was officially completed. But, it must be said, alterations and additions were made here constantly and continue to this day. For example, 3 years after construction was completed, water supply was installed in the Capitol, and in the 40s. In the 19th century, gas was introduced there, and it was illuminated. Over the next half century, the Capitol underwent even greater modernization: the first elevator appeared in 1874, gas lighting was replaced by electric lighting in the 1880s, and between 1884 and 1891. northern, western and southern marble terraces were built.

Due to the fact that the territory of the United States expanded, and the number of legislators increased accordingly, the need to expand the Capitol constantly arose. The tender for this work was won by the famous Philadelphia architect Thomas Walter. In 14 years, he managed to more than double the size of the Capitol, erect an iron dome and decorate the interior.

The history of the creation of the Capitol dome requires, as they say, a separate story. Charles Bulfinch was the first to erect the dome in 1820. But it was a squat wooden structure covered with copper. But the main drawback of the old dome was not its aesthetic wretchedness, but an ordinary everyday inconvenience - it leaked. Imagine this picture: respectable legislators with serious faces are holding debates, deciding the fate of their fellow citizens, and at the same time water is dripping on their heads, and sometimes pouring in quite copious streams. Therefore, the architect Thomas Walter, who replaced Bulfinch, enthusiastically took on not only the construction of the House of Representatives wing, but also the leaky roof.

The new dome, 87 meters high and weighing over 4,000 tons, was installed using steam cranes in 1859. This architectural masterpiece cost the Treasury $1,047,291. Walter, without hiding his admiration for European architecture, used models of the domes of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Peter's in Rome, the Parisian Pantheon and St. Isaac's Cathedral In Petersburg.

In an illustration from the archive: the fresco “The Apotheosis of Washington” depicting the first president of the United States.

The inside of the Capitol dome is decorated with the first fresco in the United States depicting the “Apotheosis of Washington” surrounded by the Olympian gods. The author of the fresco is the Italian artist Constantino Brumidi.

The Capitol had to endure more than one blow of fate. In 1851, on Christmas Eve, there was a fire at the Library of Congress. Most of the unique collection was lost in the fire. It was decided to move the library to another building, which was done in 1897.

Returning to the dome, or rather, to the dome. In December 1863, to the sound of a military salute, a bronze statue representing freedom was installed on top of the Capitol. It was created by sculptor Thomas Crawford. Some Americans still naively believe that this is the Indian princess Pocohontas or some other Redskin leader. And when you tell these ignoramuses that this is Freedom, after a moment of surprise they nod their heads with satisfaction: of course, it’s Freedom, who else could be erected on such a majestic building in Washington?

You can talk about the Capitol for a long time, there are many funny and tragic moments associated with its creation, there are many legends, but, unfortunately, the format of the online article does not allow going into details. We can only add that each generation made its own amendments to this majestic building. Let's say, the 20th century, especially its second half, updated the building technologically, making it easier for legislators sitting in the Capitol: in 1973, an electronic voting system was introduced; in 1979 - regular national broadcasts of debates; in the late 80s electronic surveillance systems, computer control over the state of the indoor microclimate and much more appeared.

Let's take a quick look inside the modern Capitol. The rooms of the standing committees are located on the first and second floors.

On the third floor, the south wing houses the House of Representatives, and the north wing houses the Senate. On the same floor is the Rotunda - a spacious round gallery with sculptures and paintings depicting important events and people who left their mark on US history.

The fourth floor of the Capitol is occupied by various committees. Perhaps the most interesting place here is the balcony loggias, intended for those who want to watch the work of American legislators. There is also a press box here.

We decided to end our walk around the Capitol with numbers that speak for themselves: from 3 to 5 million people visit the Capitol every year. Impressive, isn't it?

Well, how could it be otherwise - it’s a miracle!”

Voice of America radio station, Russian service April 22, 2009. (The material is given with minor abbreviations). Station website: http://www.voanews.com

Capitol in Washington (USA) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

• Tours for the New Year Worldwide
• Last minute tours Worldwide

Previous photo Next photo

Washington is the most honorable city North America. This is not only the capital of the United States, but also one of the national symbols of freedom, because the first person who founded it American President George Washington made a lot of efforts in the fight against the British colonists for the independence of his country.

Washington today is the main political center of America. It was in this city that the main representations of the judicial, executive and legislative branches of government, 174 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the largest banks and currency funds were located, and most importantly - the presidential residence, or The White house. Washington itself is governed by a mayor, but supreme body The power is Congress, which can amend laws approved by the municipal council and exercise control over the administration of the city. The Congressional building - the Capitol - is located in the heart of the US capital and is one of the main attractions of America. We can say that the Capitol in Washington is a worthy monument on an honorable pedestal.

The Capitol is one of the most tall buildings in the city. Its height is 88 m. The top floor, accessible by elevator, offers stunning views of Washington.

History of the Washington Capitol

The snow-white Capitol is located on the hill of the same name, which, in turn, was named after one of the seven ancient Roman hills. The history of the creation of the Capitol is quite impressive. This abode of representatives of the city authorities was built by more than one generation of architects, each of whom faced seemingly insurmountable difficulties.

It all began in the spring of 1792, when President George Washington announced a competition among architects to design the best government building after the city's extravagant designer, P. S. Lanfant, was removed from his duties. However, the competition jury members were quite disappointed when they were presented with a little more than a dozen worthless projects. At the very last moment, another work was sent with great delay - its author was 33-year-old Scotsman William Thornton. The most interesting thing is that this young man worked as a doctor, but, fired up with the desire to win the president himself in the competition, he learned architecture in a matter of weeks. Thornton's design was recognized as the best, and the architect was assigned to oversee the construction of the Capitol, which began in September 1793. The first stone of this magnificent building was laid by George Washington himself.

Already at the very beginning of the construction of the Capitol, problems arose: material was supplied slowly, with long interruptions, and there was an eternal shortage Money and workers. Because of this, the foundation of the building alone took three whole years to be laid. Exactly 10 years after the start of construction, the government allocated about 50 thousand dollars for this project, and Thornton was replaced by Henry Latrobe, who by that time had established himself as the best architect in Philadelphia. He did a great job: in 1800, Congress met for the first time in the unfinished Capitol.

Capitol

In 1813, Latrobe was forced to freeze construction due to the war with Great Britain, and exactly a year later the unfinished Capitol was burned by the British. Almost everything was destroyed. 20 years of backbreaking labor have become a pile of ashes and a pile of rubble. Nevertheless, Latrobe began work on restoring the building he had already loved. However, trying to make his brainchild even more beautiful than before, the architect got too carried away and began to spend exorbitant sums on building materials. The best is the enemy of the good: Latrobe was removed from project management.

In 1818, James Monroe, then president of the United States, appointed Charles Bulfinch, widely known in Boston, to the position of chief architect of the Capitol. This man was much less sensual and did not at all have the design taste and flair of the brilliant Latrobe. However, by 1823, the conservative Bulfinch, who remade the designs of his predecessor, completely rebuilt the central part of the Capitol for a cost of 12 thousand dollars.

The pride of the architect was the large wooden dome he designed over the famous Rotunda, connecting the northern and southern parts of the building and symbolizing the unity of America. Today there is a painting gallery and a small sculpture museum there.

In 1827, the main construction work was completed. About 7 years later, running water appeared in the Capitol, and 10 years later gas and electricity were installed. A little later, the building was converted into a luxurious library, which burned down in the winter of 1851. Today the library is located directly across from the Capitol, literally across the street.

In the mid-19th century, the famous Philadelphia engineer Thomas Walter was tasked with “expanding” the newly built Congressional Building. After 9 years, the architect proposed replacing wooden structure Bulfinch for a large cast-iron dome more proportional to the size of the Capitol. Walter performs it in the style of European architecture cathedrals. Also at this time, he completed the construction of the northern, southern and western white marble terraces. In 1863, a significant event occurred - a 6-meter Statue of Liberty, created by T. Crawford, was installed on the roof of the Capitol. Abraham Lincoln himself, the 16th President of the United States, was present at this historical moment. By 1865, the northern and southern wings of the government monastery were completed by Walter, thereby doubling their size.

Subsequently, work was carried out near the Capitol to improve the territory: F. L. Ohmstead, the best qualified “gardener” in America, worked on the landscape design. Several extensions were also added, central heating was installed and elevators were installed. And in the 70s of the 20th century, the facade of the eastern side of the central part of the Capitol was extended by as much as 10 meters.

Visit to the Capitol

About 4.5 million tourists visit the famous Congress building every year. There are a total of 540 rooms in the Capitol, but tourists will be able to see only 2 rooms. The first and second floors contain Congressional offices, while the third floor is occupied by the House of Representatives, the Rotunda and the Senate. Tours of the Capitol are completely free.

Getting to the Capitol will not be difficult. The main building of the country stands in the very center of Washington, and all the main streets of the capital lead to it.

This government building with a rich past will not leave indifferent either history buffs, art connoisseurs or those interested in the architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. The majestic Capitol, spectacularly illuminated at night, amazes with its monumentality and grace at the same time. During the day, he appears as a divine monastery, where the fate of the most important city in America is decided.

At the entrance to the Capitol you will need to present a ticket, which will be given to you absolutely free at a kiosk nearby after presenting your passport. Together with excursion group you can watch the meetings of Congress and the Senate from special galleries. Of all 540 rooms of the Capitol, the famous Rotunda is open to the public, where you can admire a small collection of paintings and sculptures.

The Capitol is called the tallest building in the city, because its height reaches 88 meters. If you take the elevator to the top floor, you can see the stunning Washington panorama. The snow-white Capitol was built on Capitol Hill, that is, it was named after the famous ancient Roman hill. The Capitol building has a rather impressive history of creation. Several generations of architects were involved in the construction of this abode of city power. Every architect has faced insurmountable difficulties. Today, the Capitol building is one of the most important structures. It is noteworthy that tourists are allowed into some parts of the Capitol; here you can better get acquainted with its history and architecture.

Construction of the Capitol building

Thornton's project was recognized as the best, and the architect began to supervise the construction, which began in 1793. George Washington himself laid the first stone famous building Capitol. Since the start of construction work, a number of problems have arisen. Material was slowly delivered to the construction site, and there was a constant shortage of labor and funds. Most likely, for this reason, the foundation took three whole years to build. Ten years after the start of construction work, American government allocated fifty thousand dollars for this project. Instead of Thornton, Henry Latrobe, who was the best architect in Philadelphia, took over the work. Congress held its first meeting in the unfinished building in 1800.

The war with Great Britain in 1813 led to a freeze in construction, and the unfinished building was burned by the British exactly a year later. Almost twenty years of work was practically destroyed. However, Latrobe loved the project so much that he began rebuilding it. He wanted to make the building more beautiful than its predecessor, and in his enthusiasm he spent exorbitant amounts of money. He was removed from this project. The next architect was Charles Bulfinch, who completely completed the central part of the Capitol building for twelve thousand dollars.

The main construction work was completed by 1827. The Capitol was then provided with running water and gradually electricity and gas. A luxurious library was created in the building, although it was destroyed by fire in 1851. Philadelphia engineer Thomas Walter began expanding the new Congress building in the mid-nineteenth century. A significant event occurred in 1863: the six-meter Statue of Liberty was installed on the roof of the Capitol building. President Abraham Lincoln was present during this historic moment.

Visit to the Capitol

Approximately 4.5 million tourists visit the famous Capitol every year. Although the Capitol building has 540 rooms, only two rooms are open to tourists. Office rooms Congressional offices are located on the first two floors of the Capitol. The third floor houses the Senate, Rotunda and House of Representatives. Tours of the Capitol are completely free. It's fairly easy to get to the Capitol building. The main building of the United States of America is located in the center of Washington, in addition, all major streets lead to it.

History buffs especially should not miss the government capitol building, which has a rich past. And art lovers are offered to see the architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. Especially at night, the majestic Capitol is beautifully illuminated; at such times, the building amazes with its grace and monumentality at the same time. Even during the day, the Capitol building resembles a divine abode, because here the fate of the most important American city is decided.

To enter the Capitol, you must present a ticket, which can be obtained at the nearest kiosk completely free of charge, although you will need to present your passport. If you come with a tour group, you can watch the work of the Senate and Congress from special galleries. Among the 540 rooms of the Capitol, the Rotunda, which is open to the public, deserves special attention. There is a small collection of sculptures and paintings here that is appreciated.