HÔTEL NATIONAL DES INVALIDES

Although the Hôtel National des Invalides houses Napoleon's tomb under the dome, several visitor attractions (Musée des Plans-Reliefs, Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération, etc.) and Saint-Louis Cathedral, it still retains its original function as a hospital-hospice for wounded soldiers, which dates back to the ^17th century. The first hotel was founded in 1604 by King Henri IV to house over-aged soldiers and war wounded. Named the "Maison royale de la Charité chrétienne", it was located on rue de l'Oursine in the present-day^5th arrondissement of Paris. After a few years, however, it fell into decline under Marie de Médicis. Although Cardinal Richelieu took up the torch in 1634, the initiative was short-lived, as a direct consequence of the Thirty Years' War.

It wasn't until the reign of Louis XIV, assisted by the Marquis de Louvois (1639-1691), that the decision was taken to build a new Hôtel Royal des Invalides for soldiers unfit to defend the crown - in the words of a royal edict, "old men of no means who have served in its armies. So that those who have laid down their lives and shed their blood in defense of the monarchy... may spend the rest of their days in peace". The project was financed by taxes levied on abbeys and priories. Within these walls, doctors, surgeons and apothecaries directly appointed by the monarch enjoyed privileges equal to those of members of the court. So much for the project's staying power!

The hotel was built in 1671, outside the city, on a plot of land in the former Plaine de Grenelle, between the Faubourg Saint-Germain and the village of Gros-Caillou. The buildings (lodgings, infirmary, refectories, etc.) formed a vast rectangle measuring approximately 450 m x 390 m. In 1676, when it was commissioned, the hotel housed almost 6,000 men. However, the work was not completed until 1706, just a few years before the monarch's death. Thirty years of work were required to complete this major project, five of them by Liberal Bruant (1636-1697) and the rest by Jules-Hardouin Mansart (1646-1708), architect of the famous Dome.

A masterpiece of ^17th-century architecture, the monumental complex as we know it today is organized around a vast courtyard of honor accessible from the main porch, which opens onto the famous esplanade. After passing through the entrance gate flanked by two guardhouses (small pavilions) and a moat 6 m wide and 3 m deep, with a series of impressive cannons, the 210 m long monumental façade is richly decorated with motifs - all related to martial activities: weapons, trophies, badges, breastplates... - and its central porch is framed by two statues, one of Mars, the other of Minerva, both divinities linked to war. Above, a large half-moon tympanum portrays Louis XIV in antique style, i.e. on horseback and dressed in Roman costume. At his feet, you'll recognize the personification of Prudence, with an open book, and Justice, represented with a sword and scales. These sculptures, which had been damaged, were reproduced in the ^19th century in keeping with the originals.

While the Cour d'Honneur appears to be a perfect square to the naked eye, it is a clever play on architecture and optics, measuring 102m x 64m. The open galleries, with their apparent two storeys, are just as illusionary, although in reality they have four. Here, the decor features warrior motifs combining symbolic figures and trophies of arms. Once there, you'll need to find a sculpted wolf beneath a bull's eye, an allusion to the Marquis de Louvois..

From this courtyard, you can access the various exhibition areas (Charles-de-Gaulle historial, unusual cabinets, military history collections...). You'll also notice the recurring sundials that adorn the walls, an allusion to the Sun King. In line with the main entrance is Saint-Louis-des-Invalides ("Soldiers' Church"), a place of worship dedicated to the Holy Trinity, built from 1676 onwards by Jules Hardouin-Mansart to designs by Liberal Bruant. In addition to its classical architecture, it features flags and banners taken from the enemy during various battles. But this building and the famous Dome, which houses the tomb of Emperor Napoleon, as well as those of Napoleon II (l'Aiglon) and Marshals Foch and Lyautey, are one and the same, separated only by a glass roof. The Saint-Louis church corresponds to the nave, and the Dome to the choir. Nevertheless, the latter, built between 1676 and 1706 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, is the building's masterpiece. While the leaf-gilded dome reaches 113 m in height, the interior is just as spectacular, as is the masterly façade. Napoleon's tomb is equally monumental. Made of red quartzite and green granite, it measures almost 4 m x 2 m. Twelve statues of Victories sculpted by Pradier surround it, while the floor features a polychrome mosaic commemorating the Emperor's major battles.