By Jarek

The United States Capitol is probably my favorite building in the entire world (although the Library of Congress comes in a close second!). It’s not just the beautiful architecture–it’s the deep symbolism of the highest ideals of the United States. It’s a monument to all of the best in America’s history, from the painting depicting George Washington handing power back to the Continental Congress at the end of the Revolutionary War, to the statue honoring heroes who secured women’s right to vote, to the statue of Ronald Reagan with a layer of pieces from the Berlin Wall at its base. Every time I visit it (or even see it!), I feel proud of my country. It’s a reminder that although, yes, America is far from perfect, its roots, traditions, and ideals are good and they are strong. It is those ideals that made possible all the progress of the past 200 years towards a better society.

No country occupied by 300 million imperfect people will ever be perfect (no matter what quick fixes the politicians promise!), but if we stay grounded in the ideals of the American Experiment, the lives of our people will always be better off than those of just about any other society in the history of the world. The freedom we enjoy here is so worth it, even when democracy is loud and messy and some people take advantage of our system to promote evil. The more I travel, the more I recognize how blessed we are. Other countries have as many or more social problems than we do, but often without our freedom. So we might as well have freedom! It’s worth it.

Anyways, obviously I have quite the soapbox on all of this, but that’s why I love the Capitol Building—it encapsulates, in paint and glass and stone, so much of what I love about America. So imagine our delight when, just before leaving for China, we got the chance to tour the Capitol Dome. This was a unique opportunity, and we want to share the pictures.

The picture above diagrams the basic route of the tour; you can see the stairs on the left (click on the picture to see it up close!). They enter the dome where the windows are, go up the outside of the interior dome, pause at a balcony right under the painting, then go up into the space under the outer dome and finally lead outside below the “Tholos,” the little room underneath the Statue of Freedom. There are stairs that lead into the Tholos and up to the statue, but no one is allowed that access.

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This is obviously from the first gallery, on level with the windows. Below the railing is the Frieze of American History that bands the dome, depicting scenes from Columbus to the dawn of aviation (the final scenes were added in the 1950s). Though it looks sculpted, it’s actually painted into the plaster (“true fresco”). Through the windows you can just barely glimpse the columns that line the outside in the Peristyle.

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The dome is made of cast iron pieces fastened together. Along the stairs, some of the coffers (those decorative indentations) have “portholes” that open up for a unique view of the Rotunda. Thankfully it’s at head level, so you can peak through without much fear! We joked about waving to little kids to get their attention, then hiding when they tried to show their parents. We didn’t do it though, tempting though it was : )

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The second gallery is right underneath the fresco painting on top, “The Apotheosis of Washington.” Besides George’s deification, it depicts numerous Roman gods lending their aid to America. The painting was completed in 11 months at the end of the Civil War by Constantino Brumidi, an immigrant from Italy whose magnificent art is all over the Capitol Building. The fresco is on a ceiling above the dome, and is visible through the inner dome’s “oculus,” or hole at the top. It’s 180 ft above the floor of the Rotunda and covers an area of 4,664 sq. ft. Around the edges, six scenes allegorically represent national concepts such as “agriculture” and “mechanics.” These are not entirely visible from below, since the fresco extends beyond the oculus, so it was cool to take a close look.

We came out below the Tholos less than an hour before sunset and got to admire the design of the city in a warm light. The Capitol Building is literally at the center of the city, reflecting the intention that Congress, closest to the people, should be the center of power in a nation that does not rule the people but is ruled by and for the people.

I love these ideals—they’re a big part of why we stick with this crazy career. Grounded in our best traditions, we have the freedom to make things better! The Capitol helps remind me to never take that blessing for granted.