It was a beautiful week-end in Baton Rouge. The azaleas were blooming and everything was green. The temp was 68 and the sky was blue. AND...no mosquitos. A very unusual day in my home state.
We lived in Baton Rouge for a while and have always paid visits to the state capitol. Louisiana's capitol is the tallest capitol building in the country and an excellent example of American Art Deco architecture. Alot of history has been associated with the capitol but the building itself is a work of art.
Enter the capitol and you find this room, Memorial Hall. Amazing art deco design. The flags on the right in this picture represent the 10 flags that have flown over the Louisiana Territory. Get this... The floor is made of Mt. Vesuvius lava from Italy. 
In the center of Memorial Hall is a 3,290 pound bronze relief map of Louisiana. The map lists each of the 64 parishes (counties) in the state around its border and depicts symbols of Louisiana’s major industries and natural products.
Take a look at the east side which leads to the Senate Chambers.
This mural was painted by Jules Guerin of France and is referred to as the "Goddess of Knowledge and Time." The central figure holds a zodiac in one hand and an hourglass in the other. Harvest scenes make up the background.
More on the capitol and some political history later!
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