Paris, France, is home to the Les Invalides museum complex. The museum is home to several artifacts, including Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb and an extensive arsenal. It got its name since it was initially constructed as a home for returning soldiers from war and their families.
Les Invalides in Paris is the last resting place of Napoleon, one of the most well-known military leaders in history. A museum showcasing the history of the French Army is also part of the site.
If you’re thinking about taking a vacation, Paris is a great destination because there’s so much to do and see there. The capital of France is not just a big European city with stunning scenery but also a region bursting to the seams with great sights for visitors.
Les Invalides, however, is still underappreciated as a tourist destination, especially by those with an interest in military history. Les Invalides should be on everyone’s must-see list when visiting Paris.
Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the least crowded times to visit Les Invalides. The months of April through June and September through November are the best times to visit the complex because of the pleasant weather and fewer crowds.
The months of July and August are the busiest times of the year, so expect longer wait times and more crowds.
Avoid going on national holidays like July 14’s Bastille Day, when the site is sure to be overrun with tourists. Because of the longer summer days, tourists have more time to take in the sights in the warm months of the year.
Construction and architecture of Les Invalides, Paris
On November 24, 1670, under an order from Louis XIV, construction began on a facility to house and care for the army’s invalides. Libéral Bruant was the original designer of Les Invalides. Plaine de Grenelle, a former suburban area, was chosen as the location.
When the expanded project was finished in 1676, the building’s façade along the Seine was 196 meters (643 feet) wide, and it boasted fifteen courtyards, the greatest of which was the Cour d’Honneur, where military parades took place.
In 1676, architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart began work on the church and chapel complex now known as the Invalides, drawing inspiration from his great-uncle François Mansart’s plans for a Chapelle des Bourbons to be constructed behind the chancel of the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the traditional necropolis of the French monarchy.
In the middle of the 1660s, both Mansart and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who was living in Paris at the time, submitted many designs. In terms of architecture and its relationship to the surrounding church, Mansart’s second idea is strikingly similar to Hardouin-Mansart’s plan of the Royal Chapel or Dome Church at Les Invalides.
The domed chapel, according to architectural historian Allan Braham’s speculations, was planned to be a new burial site for the Bourbon Dynasty but was ultimately canceled. Instead, the vast structure was converted into the monarch’s own chapel so that he could attend services without having to mix with the soldiers with disabilities.
With 107 meters (351 feet) in height, the Dôme des Invalides is not just one of the most recognizable symbols of France’s absolute monarchy but also of French Baroque architecture.
Le Brun’s student Charles de La Fosse painted a Baroque illusionistic ceiling in the dome. By 1705, the painting had been finished.
After Bruant’s death in 1697, the chapel was completed according to the old man’s plans with the help of Hardouin-Mansart. Saint-Louis-des-Invalides is the name given to this chapel. The veterans had to show up to church every single day.
The Église du Dôme, named after its most recognizable feature, was commissioned by Louis XIV and built by Mansart shortly after the veterans’ chapel was begun. In 1706, construction on the dome chapel was completed.
History of Les Invalides
The Invalides was the site of several historically significant events in France because of its strategic position. Parisian rioters attacked cannons and muskets housed in its cellars on July 14, 1789, then utilized them the same day in an attack on the Bastille. In 1840, Napoleon’s body was buried beneath the Dome of the Invalides with full military honors.
In the nineteenth century, the barrier between the two churches was maintained with the installation of Napoleon’s tomb, the development of two distinct temples, and the installation of a transparent wall.
Until the turn of the twentieth century, the structure served primarily as a retirement community and hospital for invalids (veterans of the armed forces). This structure first housed the Musée d’artillerie (Museum of Artillery) in 1872, followed by the Musée historique des armées (Museum of the Armies) in 1896.
In 1905, the two museums merged to become what is now known as the Musée de l’Armée. Veterans lived in the city were relocated to smaller communities outside of Paris at the same time.
The number of soldiers with twenty years of service or more that was once necessary to attend the HĂ´pital des Invalides drastically decreased after 1872, when a mostly volunteer army was adopted.
Because of this, the structure outgrew its initial function and became unnecessary. About a hundred elderly or disabled former soldiers can still make use of the contemporary complex’s services as described below.
In 1905, the chapel for war veterans was included in the Army Museum located in Les Invalides. Currently known as Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, it serves as the cathedral for the Diocese of the French Armed Forces.
Highlights of Les Invalides
Hôtel des Invalides is a massive structure which contains different parts. Let’s take a look at this famous structure’s main highlights.
DĂ´me des Invalides (The tomb of Napoleon I)
MusĂ©e de l’ArmĂ©e (The Army Museum)
Saint-Louis Cathedral
The Cour d’Honneur (Main Courtyard)
The Musée des Plans-Reliefs
The Museum of the Order of Liberation (Musée de L’Ordre de la Liberation)
DĂ´me des Invalides (The tomb of Napoleon I)
The dome of the Invalides is one of the city’s most recognizable symbols. The baroque chapel’s golden dome is 100 meters in height. And in an open crypt underneath it, Napoleon Bonaparte rests in peace. The chapel’s crypt and sarcophagus, which are both burgundy in color, are located at its altar.
Follow the stairs down from the altar where Christ is shown on the cross to find Napoleon’s grave. After that, you’re free to explore the tomb and get up close to the sculptures’ meaningful details.
Napoleon’s brothers and son, as well as the marshals Ferdinand Foch and Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey, all of whom played important roles in World War I, are buried in the chapels off to the side.
MusĂ©e de l’ArmĂ©e (The Army Museum)
Finally, it’s time to read about the military museum. Many different collections are on show here, and they are all neatly organized into categories.
The historic district has international collections of weaponry and armor from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Walls and ceilings of the museum are covered in paintings and murals. The museum houses every conceivable item of military hardware, including knives, daggers, swords, sabers, pistols, revolvers, rifles, helmets, armor, chain mail, and shields.
Another large collection may be seen in the “modern” area (the time period spanning Louis XIV and Napoleon III). In addition, there is an abundance of outfits, medals, and other gear, including, of course, the two-cornered bicorn hat that was Napoleon’s trademark.
French society, government, and the armed forces are portrayed in paintings and monuments.
After 1871, the story of the French army is presented in the modern section, with the emphasis being on the two world wars. As could be expected, there are even more uniforms, guns, and other items associated with battle. However, there are also items from the front lines, the personal effects of troops, and pieces of propaganda.
Each war and conflict is discussed in length, with both French and English language options provided.
Saint-Louis Cathedral
The walls of Saint-Louis Cathedral are covered in captured enemy flags as war souvenirs. The cathedral’s dedication to both sacred and secular times is interesting. Monuments, plaques, and side chapels memorialize the French army’s fallen. But there’s also art representing Jesus’ death, burial, and rebirth, like the sculptures and paintings along the Way of the Cross.
The Saint-Louis Cathedral is directly across the street from the DĂ´me des Invalides. This allowed both the King and his troops to attend mass at the same time while adhering to etiquette and entering the church through separate doors.
The DĂ´me des Invalides is now a public attraction, while the Saint-Louis Cathedral serves as a church for retired soldiers living in the area.
The Cour d’Honneur (Main Courtyard)
The beautiful Cour d’Honneur welcomes visitors to the Les Invalides complex. This courtyard is a magnificent example of the glory of French architectural heritage, with its long history, exquisite architecture, and elegant plants.
The Musée des Plans-Reliefs
In the 17th century, when Louis XIV’s Minister of War, Louvois, commissioned Vauban to create a scale model of the city of Dunkirk, the first relief map was created. Located at the Hôtel des Invalides and managed by the Ministry of Culture, this museum showcases 28 examples of relief maps of fortified cities created between 1668 and 1875. These elaborate models have been used in strategic planning and as symbols of victory.
The Museum of the Order of Liberation (Musée de L’Ordre de la Liberation)
General de Gaulle founded the Order of the Liberation in November 1940 to honor the bravery of those who fought for the liberation of France. Following General de Gaulle’s decision to relocate the head office of the Order of the Liberation to the Hôtel National des Invalides, the Liberation Museum was established.
France’s second national order, the Companions of the Liberation, have their tale told in full at this memorial museum in a prominent location in the center of ancient military Paris. This includes their roles in Free France, the internal Resistance, and the deportation. The museum welcomes you to explore these extraordinary endings as a way of understanding the Second World War.
Conclusion
Les Invalides is a large historic site in the middle of Paris with many different sights to see. Les Invalides, with its gorgeous architecture and amazing military history, is a must-see for everyone interested in learning more about France’s history and culture.
Les Invalides in Paris is an expansive complex of military-themed museums, monuments, a mausoleum, a retirement home for soldiers, and a hospital for war veterans. Visit it before or after seeing the Eiffel Tower or any time you’re interested in the intriguing military history of France. It’s located in the 7th Arrondissement.
