Capitol

The political center of the US government and geographic heart of the District, the Capitol sits atop a high hill overlooking the National Mall and the wide avenues flaring out to the city beyond. The towering 285ft cast-iron dome topped by the bronze Statue of Freedom, ornate fountains and marble Roman pillars set on sweeping lawns and flowering gardens scream: ‘This is DC.’

Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government – ie Congress – has met to write the country’s laws. The lower House of Representatives (438 members) and upper Senate (100) meet respectively in the south and north wings of the building.

The visitor center (202-225-6827; www.aoc.gov; 1st St NE) showcases the exhaustive background of a building that fairly sweats history. The center also provides free tours of the building – be on the lookout for statues of two famous residents per state, plus some of the most stunning, baroque/neoclassical architecture in the nation. The interior of the building is as daunting as the exterior, cluttered with busts, statues and personal mementos of generations of Congress members.

Pierre L’Enfant chose the site for the Capitol in his original 1791 city plans, describing it as ‘a pedestal waiting for a moment.’ Construction began in 1793, as George Washington laid the cornerstone, anointing it with wine and oil in Masonic style. In 1814, midway through construction, the British marched into DC and burnt the Capitol (and much of the city) to the ground. The dispiriting destruction tempted people to abandon Washington altogether, but the government finally rebuilt both city and structure. In 1855 the iron dome (weighing nine million pounds) was designed, replacing a smaller one; the House and Senate wings were added in 1857. The final touch, the 19ft Freedom sculpture, was placed atop the dome in 1863.

Inside the halls and ornate chambers you really get a feel for the power-playing side of DC. The centerpiece of the Capitol is the magnificent Rotunda (the area under the dome). A Constantino Brumidi frieze around the rim replays more than 400 years of American history. Look up into the eye of the dome for the Apotheosis of Washington, an allegorical fresco by the same artist. Other eye-catching creations include enormous oil paintings by John Trumbull, depicting scenes from the American Revolution.

When either the House of Representatives or the Senate is in session, a flag is raised above the appropriate south or north wing. Appropriately, the House office buildings – Rayburn, Longworth and Cannon – are on Independence Ave south of the Capitol; Senate buildings – Hart, Dirksen and Russell – are on Constitution Ave to the north.