Originally constructed in 1747 as a Jesuit church, the Panteón Nacional was also a tobacco warehouse and a theater before dictator Trujillo restored the building in 1958 for its current usage. Today many of the country’s most illustrious persons are honored here, their remains sealed behind two marble walls. The entire building, including its neoclassical façade, is built of large limestone blocks. As befits such a place, an armed soldier is ever present at the mausoleum’s entrance along with a powerful fan since it does get hot. Shorts and tank tops are discouraged.