Hôtel des Invalides is recognized as the most important edifice dedicated to honour Napoleon's Bonaparte glory.
Hôtel des Invalides is also one of the most important army museums in the world.
But the Invalides edifice has been constructed long before Napoleon's Bonaparte glory.
This is Louis XIV in 1671 who decided to build the Hôtel des Invalides to receive the retired or injured soldier of his army.
Hôtel des Invalides had been Napoleon Bonaparte starting reference to becoming popular.
In the Invalides Napoleon Bonaparte started to build a more powerful and a more potent army for his empire:
- By making celebrations to honour the soldiers
- By using it as a military school
Inside the Invalides you will find:
- The Army Museums
- The Dome Chapel – tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte
- Saint-Louis des Invalides Chapel aka The Veteran's Chapel
The Dome Chapel – Dôme des Invalides:
- Tomb of Napoleon I
- Louis XIV decorations, monarchy decorations and French army decorations
- Famous victories of Napoleon
- What Napoleon did for the state organization: civilian achievement statues of French administrative organizations ( Pacification of the Nation, Administrative centralization, Council of State, Civil Code, Concordat, Imperial university, Court of Audit, Commercial Code, large-scale works, Legion of Honour)
The Veteran's Chapel – Eglise Saint-Louis des Invalides:
- Trophy flags taken from the enemy after victories
- Ashes of Claude Josep Rouget de Lisle, author of the French anthem "la Marseillaise" – remains in the private crypt of the chapel
Musée de l'Armée des Invalides:
- Bronze cannons exhibition on the main courtyard
- Medieval suits of armour, uniforms, pieces of equipment, sabres, swords, arms, knives, pieces of ordnance, Napoleon's army weapons, emblems, decorations, paintings, photographs, sculptures, personal effects.
- Ancient armour and arms
- From Louis XIV to Napoleon III historical explanations
- The Two World War history museum part
- Charles de Gaulle history: from the resistance during WWII to the born of the marketing industry; going through the feminism claim and student's protestation movement in May 68 in the Historial Charles de Gaulle museum
A sample of Musée des Invalides Paris:
How to get to Hôtel des Invalides: Hôtel National des Invalides - Place Vauban, 75007 Paris
- M13 Varenne – M8 La Tour Maubourg – M8-13 RERC Invalides
Bus: 28-63-69-82-83-92-93
Vélib' (City Bike): 7015 Boulevard des Invalides – 7017 Motte Piquet – 7010 Constantine
Noctilien (Night Bus): N01-N02 Invalides - Maps:
- Invalides Museum Opening hours and Prices.Tickets gives you access to all the public part of Invalides museum!