United States Capitol dome and Rotunda

The cast‑iron dome of the United States Capitol was constructed during the 1850s–1860s to replace an earlier, smaller wooden dome; the present dome rises to approximately 288 feet above the building. The Capitol's central Rotunda beneath the dome houses large historical paintings and the Apotheosis of Washington, a fresco painted by Constantino Brumidi in 1865. The building serves as the meeting place of the United States Congress and has been the site of state funerals, presidential inaugurations, and other nationally significant ceremonies.