Les Invalides

Welcome to Les Invalides, formally known as the Hotel National des Invalides, a sprawling, magnificent complex that stands as the ultimate architectural tribute to the military history of France. As you stand upon the vast, open…

We begin our exploration by crossing the threshold into the spectacular Courtyard of Honor. This immense, perfectly rectangular plaza is the beating, ceremonial heart of Les Invalides. …

Leaving the bright sunlight of the courtyard, we delve into the shadowed, intensely fascinating galleries of the Musee de l Armee. Established in 1905, immediately following the World's Fair, this institution is the spectacular…

We now leap forward in time, transitioning from the individualized, chivalric combat of the Renaissance to the catastrophic, mechanized slaughter of the twentieth century. The galleries dedicated to the First and Second World…

Connected directly to the vast museum complex is the awe inspiring Cathedral of Saint Louis des Invalides, specifically known as the Veterans' Chapel. This architectural marvel was designed to minister to the spiritual needs of…

We now approach the most iconic and visually arresting structure of the entire complex, the magnificent Dome des Invalides. As you exit the Veterans' Chapel and stand in the southern courtyard, look upward. …

Passing beneath the golden dome, we enter the vast, circular space of the Royal Chapel and gaze down into the monumental open crypt. Here lies the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, perhaps France's most brilliant, complex, and…

As we emerge from the heavy, solemn depths of Napoleon's crypt and walk back out into the bright, open expanse of the Esplanade, let us take a moment to reflect on the immense historical narrative encapsulated within Les…