The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the
7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
s and
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
s, all relating to the
military history of France
The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas including modern France, Europe, and List of former European colonies, a variety of regions throughout the ...
, as well as a hospital and an
old soldiers' retirement home, the building's original purpose. The buildings house the
Musée de l'Armée
The Musée de l'Armée (; "Army Museum") is a national military museum of France located at Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It is served by Paris Métro stations Invalides (Paris Métro and RER), Invalides, Varenne (Paris Métro ...
, the museum of the Army of France, the
Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the
Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine. The complex also includes the
Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, the national cathedral of the French military. It is adjacent to the Royal Chapel known as the , the tallest church building in Paris at a height of 107 meters.
The latter has been converted into a shrine to some of France's leading military figures, most notably the
tomb of Napoleon.
History
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
initiated the project by an order dated 24 November 1670 to create a home and hospital for aged and disabled () soldiers, the veterans of his many military campaigns. The initial architect of was
Libéral Bruant. The selected site was in the then suburban plain of Grenelle (''plaine de Grenelle''). By the time the enlarged project was completed in 1676, the façade fronting the
Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
measured in width, and the complex had fifteen courtyards, the largest being the
cour d'honneur
A court of honor ( ; ) is the principal and formal approach and forecourt of a large building. It is usually defined by two secondary wings projecting forward from the main central block ('' corps de logis''), sometimes with a fourth side, co ...
designed for military parades. The church-and-chapel complex of the Invalides was designed by
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gra ...
in 1676, taking inspiration from his great-uncle
François Mansart's design for a to be built behind the chancel of the
Basilica of Saint-Denis
The Basilica of Saint-Denis (, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and archite ...
, the French monarch's necropolis since ancient times. Several projects were submitted in the mid-1660s by both Mansart and
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...
, who was residing in Paris at the time. Mansart's second project is very close to Hardouin-Mansart's concept of the Royal Chapel or Dome Church at , both in terms of its architecture and of its relationship with the adjacent church. Architectural historian
Allan Braham has hypothesized that the domed chapel was initially intended to be a new burial place for the Bourbon Dynasty, but that project was not implemented. Instead, the massive building was designated as the private chapel of the monarch, which was attached to the Cathedral attended by the veterans. The Dôme des Invalides remains as one of the prime exemplars of
French Baroque architecture, at high, and also as an iconic symbol of France's
absolute monarchy.
The interior of the dome was painted by
Le Brun's disciple
Charles de La Fosse with a Baroque
illusionistic ceiling painting. The painting was completed in 1705.
Meanwhile, Hardouin-Mansart assisted the aged Bruant with the
Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, Paris, which was finished to Bruant's design after the latter died in 1697. Daily attendance of the veterans in the church services was required. Shortly after the veterans' chapel was started, Louis XIV commissioned Mansart to construct a separate private royal chapel, now named its most striking feature. The Dome chapel was finished in 1706.
File:Stichting invalides.jpg, Louis XIV views the plans of
File:Louis XIV Invalides Pierre Denis Martin.JPG, ''Visit of Louis XIV to '' (about 1706). Painting by Pierre-Denis Martin
File:Hyacinthe Rigaud 1685 Jules-Hardouin Mansart-001.JPG, Portrait of Hardouin-Mansart by Hyacinthe Rigaud showing the Dome, Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Veron-Bellecourt - Napoléon Ier visitant l'infirmerie des Invalides, 11 février 1808.jpg, Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
visiting the infirmary of
Because of its location and significance, the Invalides served as the scene for several key events in French history. On 14 July 1789, it was stormed by Parisian rioters who seized the cannons and muskets stored in its cellars to use against the
Bastille
The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stormed by a ...
later the same day. Napoleon was entombed under the Dome of the Invalides with a grand ceremony in 1840. The separation between the two churches was reinforced in the 19th century with the erection of
Napoleon's tomb, the creation of the two separate altars, and the construction of a glass wall between the two chapels.
The building retained its primary function as a retirement home and hospital for military veterans (''invalides'') until the early twentieth century. In 1872, the musée d'artillerie (Artillery Museum) was located within the building to be joined by the musée historique des armées (Historical Museum of the Armies) in 1896. The two institutions were merged to form the present musée de l'armée in 1905. At the same time, the veterans in residence were dispersed to smaller centres outside Paris. The reason was that adopting a mainly conscript army after 1872 meant a substantial reduction in the number of veterans having the twenty or more years of military service formerly required to enter the Hôpital des Invalides. The building accordingly became too large for its original purpose. The modern complex does, however, still include the facilities detailed below for about a hundred elderly or incapacitated former soldiers.
When the Army Museum at was founded in 1905, the veterans' chapel was placed under its administrative control. It is now the cathedral of the
Diocese of the French Armed Forces, officially known as Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides.
2024 Olympic venue
File:Mens Individual Archery Paris 2024.jpg, Men's Individual Archery at the Les Invalides venue.
The Esplanade des Invalides, the expansive green space in front of the historic Hôtel des Invalides, was a key venue for multiple sports during the
Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. It hosted archery, para-archery, road cycling, and marathon events, with the Invalides buildings providing a unique backdrop for athletes to compete.
Architecture
North Front and entrance
File:Paris - Les Invalides - Façade nord - Statue de Minerve - PA00088714 - 004.jpg, The portal is guarded by a statue of the Goddess Minerva
Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...
File:North portal of Hôtel des Invalides, Paris 11 June 2013.jpg, The north portal, depicting Louis XIV on horseback
File:Paris - Les Invalides - Façade nord - 005.jpg, Statue of Mars, the God of War, by the north portal
Hardouin-Mansart's Dome chapel is large enough to dominate the long façade yet harmonizes with Bruant's door under an arched pediment on the north front of Les Invalides. To the north, the courtyard (cour d'honneur) is extended by a wide public esplanade (''Esplanade des Invalides'') where the embassies of Austria and Finland are neighbors of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all forming one of the grand open spaces in the heart of Paris. At its far end, the
Pont Alexandre III links this grand urbanistic axis with the
Petit Palais
The (; ) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France.
Built for the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...
and the
Grand Palais
The (; ), commonly known as the , is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, France. Construction of the began in 1897 following the demolitio ...
. The
Pont des Invalides is next, downstream the Seine river.
The Dome des Invalides
File:Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, 140309 2.jpg, The Dôme des Invalides, tall
File:Paris - Détail du dôme des Invalides - 0009.jpg, Detail of the dome, decorated with of gold leaf
File:Paris - Plafond du dôme des Invalides.jpg, Interior of the Dome
File:Paris Les Invalides Dome Innen Grabrotunde 1.jpg, Interior of the dome with murals by Charles de la Fosse
File:Hôtel des Invalides - porte.jpg, The bronze and gilded doors to the dome
File:Paris Dôme des Invalides interior Pendentif.jpg, A mural by Charles de la Fosse
The Dome is the tallest and most famous of the buildings of Les Invalides. Designed by
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gra ...
, it takes the form of a Greek cross, on a square plan. Each of the facades is composed of two orders superimposed. The porch is topped by triangular fronton. It is crowned by a dome 90 meters, high, surmounted by lantern bringing the height to 107 meters (351 feet), making it taller than
Notre Dame de Paris and the tallest of all Paris church domes.
["Histoire de ;l'hotel des Invalides: La coupole du Dome par Charles de Fosse", published on-line by the Musee d'Armee.]
The dome is actually composed of two domes superimposed. The lower dome is largely open at the base, allowed the visitors below to see the art painted on the dome above by
Charles de La Fosse. The windows are masked by the lower dome, which permits natural lighting and gives the impression that viewers are actually seeing the sky, a popular Baroque affect.
The interior of the dome is divided into two separate churches; beneath the dome is the chapel that was used, on rare occasions, by the royal family. Attached to there dome is a separate church, the
Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, Paris, which was used by the veterans who lived at Les Invalides. They were required to attend daily services in the church.
The painting inside the dome by Charles de la Fosse depicts Saint Louis presenting his sword to Christ and the angels. In the center of the composition, God and the Virgin are surrounded by angel musicians. Saint Louis carries the symbols of royalty; a crown, a garden with flour-des-lys emblems, and a royal mantle. To the right of Christ are placed the symbols of the passion and the suffering of Christ; the cross, nails, a lance, and the crown of thorns.
Charles de la Fosse (1636-1716), a student of
Le Brun, was one of the leading painters of the Academy, whose work is also found in the
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of ÃŽle-de-France, ÃŽle-de-France region in Franc ...
. Jules Hardouin Mansard, in charge of all the decoration of the dome, asked La Fosse to decorate the cupola and the pendentives with paintings of the four Evangelists. In the same period, he decorated the salons of Diane and Apollo at the
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of ÃŽle-de-France, ÃŽle-de-France region in Franc ...
.
Tomb of Napoleon
File:Napoleons tomb Paris France.jpg, Tomb of Napoleon in a recess below the dome
File:Paris - Dôme des Invalides - Tombeau de Napoléon - 002.jpg, Sarcophagus of Napoleon
File:Memento Marengo.jpg, The altar above the tomb
The Tomb of Napoleon is found within the Church of the Dome. It was created after his remains were returned to France from Saint Helena in 1840. It was prepared by King Louis Philippe I and his Prime Minister,
Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic.
Thi ...
, but it was not completed and inaugurated until
1861. The chief architect was
Louis Visconti, who died before the tomb was completed. The sarcophagus made of purple
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...
, on a base of green granite, is placed in an open crypt, The crypt is surrounded by a circular gallery supported by twelve pillars, with relief panel and sculpture celebrating Napoleon's accomplishments, represented by figures of Atlantes. (See also
Napoleon's tomb)
Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
File:Paris Les Invalides Cathédrale Saint-Louis Innen Chor 3.jpg, The window behind the altar looks into chapel of the dome
File:Interior of cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides 002.jpg, Nave with enemy flags captured by French Army
File:Paris - Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides - L'orgue - 001.jpg, Organ with case designed by Hardouin-Mansart
In 1957, the position of vicar was created to oversee the spiritual education of the army. In 1986 a position of the Bishop of the armies was established and placed at the church, which gave the church the title of cathedral.
[Anne Muratori-Philip, Histoire des Invalides, Éditions Perrin, 2001, p. 20.]
The church is located directly behind the Dome des Invalides. It was originally the church that was used by the army veterans who lived at Les Invalides. They were required to attend daily services in the cathedral. In the original church, the dome, where the royal family worshipped, served as the choir, while the present cathedral was the nave for the veterans.
One unusual feature of the church is the display of captured enemy flags taken over the years by the French Army.
The cathedral has a particularly fine organ, made between 1679 and 1687, with a vert elaborate case with sculpture designed by architect
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gra ...
.
The Courtyard of Honor
File:Cour d'honneur des Invalides 001.jpg, Courtyard of Honor, with the Dome behind it. The Army Museum is on the left.
File:Donald J. Trump and President Emmanuel Macron, July 13, 2017 (01).jpg, President Macron welcomes President Trump to Les Invalides (July 17, 2017)
File:Paris - Les Invalides - Cour d'honneur - La statue de Napoléon - 001.jpg, Entrance to the Army Museum on the Courtyard of Honor
File:Statue aux invalides.jpg, Statue of Napoleon overlooking the courtyard
File:Cannons of Les Invalides - 1 (4102586114).jpg, Cannons on display in the courtyard
The organ of the cathedral is particularly notable. It was made by the organ-builder of the King, Alexandre Thierry, between 1679 and 1687, and has undergone several restorations. The elabroate buffet with sculpture was made in 1683. It was specially designed for the church by the architect,
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gra ...
.
The French Army Museum
File:Musee-de-lArmee-IMG 1076.jpg, 15th or 16th century cavalry armour
File:法兰西国王的骑士©Paris, musée de l'Armée.jpg, Displays in Army Museum
File:0 Bombarde-mortier d'Aubusson - Inv. N 66 - Musée de l'armée à Paris.JPG, An Aubusson bombardment mortar, the largest in the world
The Army Museum (Musée de l'Armée) was created in 1905 with the merger of the Musée d'Artillerie and the Musée Historique de l'Armée. The museum's seven main spaces and departments contain collections that display military equipment span the from the Middle antiquity through the 20th century.
The Museum of Relief Maps
The
Musee des Plans-Reliefs displays a collection of military models. It was begun in 1668 the Minister of War of Louis XIV ordered that three-dimensional models be made of fortified cities and strategic places in France. The models were originally held in the Louvre. The collection was enlarged through the 18th centuries, and some models of German fortifications were added.
The total collection made between 1668 and 1870 has about 150 models. The museum currently displays some twenty-eight models, depicting fortified cities of the French coast.
File:Paris - Le Grand Palais -La France en relief - Brest - 009.jpg, Relief plan of the Chateau of Oleron
File:Chateau If plan-relief.jpg, Relief map of the Chateau d'If.
Plan of Les Invalides
Hardouin-Mansart's Dome chapel is large enough to dominate the long façade yet harmonizes with Bruant's door under an arched pediment on the north front of Les Invalides. To the north, the courtyard (cour d'honneur) is extended by a wide public esplanade (''Esplanade des Invalides'') where the embassies of Austria and Finland are neighbors of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all forming one of the grand open spaces in the heart of Paris. At its far end, the
Pont Alexandre III links this grand urbanistic axis with the
Petit Palais
The (; ) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France.
Built for the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...
and the
Grand Palais
The (; ), commonly known as the , is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, France. Construction of the began in 1897 following the demolitio ...
. The
Pont des Invalides is next, downstream the Seine river.
The buildings still comprise the Institution Nationale des Invalides, a national institution for
disabled
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...
war veterans. The institution comprises:
* a retirement home
* a medical and surgical centre
* a centre for external medical consultations.
Gallery
File:Paris - Orthophotographie - 2018 - Hôtel des Invalides 02.jpg, Aerial view of Les Invalides
File:Paris - Toiture de la cour d'honneur des Invalides - Sculptures - 0010.jpg, Statue and attic window in the court of honor
File:Vive L'Empereur, Musée de l'Armée, August 2013 002.jpg, "Long Live the Emperor" in the court
File:HoteldesInvalides-005-P07.jpg, The Alexander III bridge was built in alignment with Les Invalides
File:Dome Invalides-IMG 2448.jpg, Sight on the complex and Paris from the Dome's top
File:Armoiries-france-invalides-IMG 0831.jpg, Top of the gate that overlooks the northern esplanade
File:Hotel des Invalides seen from the Tour Montparnasse.JPG, From Montparnasse tower
File:L'architecture. Le passé.-Le présent (1916) - Flickr 14778212605.jpg, The Dome has a structure of triple hull
File:Hôtel des Invalides - porte.jpg, The monumental bronze door of the Dome
File:Dôme des Invalides, plan of former Église Royale des Invalides, engraving published 1670.jpg, Plan of the Dome
File:Dôme des Invalides clocheton 2010.jpg, Pinnacle at the top of the Dome
File:Dome @ Musée de l'Armée @ Les Invalides @ Paris (25768372166).jpg, Interior architecture
File:Paris Dôme des Invalides 777.JPG, The grounds are covered with polychrome marble marquetries of the 17th century
File:Napoleons tomb Paris France.jpg, Napoleon's tomb was dug in the center of the Dome
File:Paris - Plafond du dôme des Invalides.jpg, Cupola of the Dome
File:Dome @ Musée de l'Armée @ Les Invalides @ Paris (25673476082).jpg, One of the four small side cupolas
File:Paris invalides cathedrale int.jpg, According to an old tradition, war trophies decorate the vault of the Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
File:MilitaryCostumeEmperorKienLong1736-1796.jpg, The Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
's military costume at the Musée de l'Armée
The Musée de l'Armée (; "Army Museum") is a national military museum of France located at Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It is served by Paris Métro stations Invalides (Paris Métro and RER), Invalides, Varenne (Paris Métro ...
Burials
The Dome chapel became a military necropolis when
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
in September 1800 designated it for the relocation of the tomb of Louis XIV's celebrated general
Turenne, followed in 1807–1808 by
Vauban.
[ In 1835, the underground gallery below the church received the remains of 14 victims of the Giuseppe Marco Fieschi's failed assassination attempt on ]Louis-Philippe I
Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his thron ...
. The significant development came with the building's designation to become Napoleon's tomb by a law of 10 June 1840, as part of the political project of the orchestrated by king Louis-Philippe I
Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his thron ...
and his minister Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic.
Thi ...
(the reference to Napoleon's or "ashes" is actually to his mortal remains, as he had not been cremated). The creation of the crypt and of Napoleon's massive sarcophagus took twenty years to complete and was finished in 1861. By then, it was emperor Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
who was in power and oversaw the ceremony of the transfer of the remains of his uncle from a chapel of the church to the crypt beneath the dome.
Inside the ''Église du Dôme des Invalides''
The most notable tomb at Les Invalides is that of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
(1769–1821), designed by Louis Visconti with sculptures by James Pradier, Pierre-Charles Simart and Francisque Joseph Duret. Napoleon was initially interred on Saint Helena
Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory.
Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
, but King Louis Philippe arranged for his remains to be brought to France in 1840, an event known as ''le retour des cendres''. Napoleon's remains were kept in the Saint Jerome (southwestern) chapel of the Dome church for more than two decades until his final resting place, a tomb made of red quartzite and resting on a green granite base, was finished in 1861.
Other military figures and members of Napoleon's family were also buried at the Dome church by year of burial there:[
* 1800: ]Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne (), was a French general and one of only six Marshal of France, marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illus ...
(1611–1675); 1670s monument by Gaspard Marsy and Jean-Baptiste Tuby, originally at the Basilica of Saint-Denis
The Basilica of Saint-Denis (, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and archite ...
and relocated by Napoleon
* 1807–1808: heart of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633–1707); relocated by Napoleon from Bazoches, replaced in 1847 with a cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
by Antoine Étex
* 1847: Henri Gatien Bertrand (1773–1844), an army general who accompanied Napoleon to Elba and then St Helena, and in 1840 brought Napoleon's body back to France; monument designed by Louis Visconti
* 1847: Géraud Duroc (1772–1813); also by Louis Visconti
* 1862: Jérôme Bonaparte (1784–1860), Napoleon's youngest brother, Governor of the Invalides 1848–1852; monument by Alfred-Nicolas Normand with sculpture by Eugène Guillaume, in the Saint Jerome chapel
* 1864: Joseph Bonaparte (1768–1844), Napoleon's elder brother; monument by in the Saint Augustine (southeastern) chapel
* Charles Leclerc (1772–1802); urn relocated from the Château de Montgobert
* 1904: heart of Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne (1743–1800), named by Napoleon the "first grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...
of the Republic"
* 1940: Napoleon II
Napoleon II (Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte; 20 March 181122 July 1832) was the disputed Emperor of the French for a few weeks in 1815. He was the son of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise, d ...
(1811–1832) son of Napoleon (his heart and intestines remained in Vienna); first placed in the church's Saint Jerome Chapel, then buried in the crypt in 1969
* 1858: heart of Catharina of Württemberg (1783–1835), wife of Jérôme Bonaparte, and their son Jérôme Napoléon Charles Bonaparte, in the underground gallery; the monument of Catharina's heart was relocated in 1862 in the Saint Jerome Chapel
* 1937: Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general, Marshal of France and a member of the Académie Française and French Academy of Sciences, Académie des Sciences. He distinguished himself as Supreme Allied Commander ...
(1851–1929), monument by Paul Landowski in the Saint Ambrose (northeastern) chapel
* 1963: Hubert Lyautey (1854–1934), relocated from Morocco, monument by Albert Laprade in the Saint Gregory (northwestern) chapel
File:Deux " VICTOIRES " et le tombeau de Napoléon 1er.JPG, Two of the twelve marble Victories surrounding Napoleon's tomb
File:Tomb of Joseph Bonaparte at Les Invalides, April 2011.jpg, Tomb of Joseph Bonaparte in the Dome church
File:Fochs tomb, Hôtel des Invalides 2012-10-07.jpg, Tomb of Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general, Marshal of France and a member of the Académie Française and French Academy of Sciences, Académie des Sciences. He distinguished himself as Supreme Allied Commander ...
in the Dome church
File:Vaubaninvalides01.JPG, Cenotaph of Vauban in the Dome church
File:Tomb of marshal Lyautey in the Saint Gregory (northwestern) chapel of les Invalides.jpg, Tomb of marshal Lyautey in the Saint Gregory (northwestern) chapel
File:Tomb of Jerome Bonaparte in the Saint Jerome chapel in les Invalides, France.jpg, Tomb of Jerome Bonaparte in the Saint Jerome chapel
Beneath the ''Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides''
82 additional military figures, including 28 Governors of Les Invalides, are buried in the , an underground gallery beneath the Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides:
* Albert d'Amade (1856–1941)
* Jean-Toussaint Arrighi de Casanova (1778–1853), Governor 1852–1853
* Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers (1764–1813) (heart)
* Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers
Louis-Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers (6 September 1795 – 6 June 1878), 1st Comte Baraguey d'Hilliers, was a Marshal of France and politician.
Baraguey d'Hilliers was born in Paris, the son of the French revolutionary general Louis Baraguey d'Hil ...
(1795–1878), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Jean-François Berruyer (1737?–1804), Governor 1803–1804
* Jean-Baptiste Bessières (1768–1813), Marshal of the Empire
Marshal of the Empire () was a civil dignity during the First French Empire. It was established by on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France. According to the ''Sénatus-consulte'', a Mar ...
* Baptiste Pierre Bisson (1767–1811) (heart)
* Antoine Baucheron de Boissoudy (1864–1926)
* Thomas Bugeaud (1784–1849), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, involved in the conquest of Algeria
* François Canrobert (1809–1895), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny (1737–1821), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, Governor 1816–1821
* Victor Cordonnier (1858–1936)
* Charles-Marie Denys de Damrémont (1783–1837)
* Vincent Martel Deconchy (1768–1823) (heart)
* Denis Auguste Duchêne (1862–1950)
* Guy-Victor Duperré (1775–1846)
* (1794–1848)
* Jean Baptiste Eblé (1758–1812) (heart)
* Louis Franchet d'Espèrey
Louis may refer to:
People
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
Other uses
* Louis (coin), a French coin
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
...
(1856–1942), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Rémy Joseph Isidore Exelmans (1775–1852), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Émile Fayolle
Marie Émile Fayolle (14 May 1852 – 27 August 1928) was a French general during World War I and a diplomat, elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France.
Early life
Marie Émile Fayolle was born on 14 May 1852, in Puy-en-Velay, at ''9 ...
(1852–1928), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Ernest François Fournier
Ernest François Fournier (23 May 1842–6 November 1934) was a French diplomat and admiral born in Toulouse. He was a negotiator in the Tientsin Accord, which resolved the undeclared war between France and China in 1884.
He joined the navy in ...
(1842–1934)
* Dominique-Marie Gauchet (1853–1931)
* Augustin Gérard (1857–1926)
* Henri Giraud (1879–1949)
* Émile Guépratte (1856–1939)
* Adolphe Guillaumat (1863–1940)
* Ferdinand-Alphonse Hamelin (1796–1864)
* Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul (1754–1807) (heart)
* Paul Prosper Henrys (1862–1943)
* (1885–1960), Governor 1951–1960
* Georges Louis Humbert (1862–1921)
* Jean-Baptiste Jourdan (1762–1833), Marshal of the Empire
Marshal of the Empire () was a civil dignity during the First French Empire. It was established by on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France. According to the ''Sénatus-consulte'', a Mar ...
, Governor 1830–1833
* Alphonse Juin (1888–1967), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Jean-Baptiste Kléber (1753–1800) (heart)
* Fernand de Langle de Cary
Fernand Louis Armand Marie de Langle de Cary (4 July 1849 – 19 February 1927) was a French general during World War I. He commanded the Fourth Army when the war began.
Early life
Fernand Louis Armand Marie De Langle De Cary (1849-1927) was ...
(1849–1927)
* Charles Lanrezac
Charles Lanrezac (31 July 1852 – 18 January 1925) was a French general, formerly a distinguished staff college lecturer, who briefly commanded the French Fifth Army at the outbreak of the First World War.
His army, originally intended to stri ...
(1852–1925)
* Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère (1852–1924)
* Jean Ambroise Baston de Lariboisière (1759–1812)
* Dominique Jean Larrey (1766–1842), celebrated military surgeon
* Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle (1777–1809), the "Hussar General"
* Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque (22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947) was a Free France, Free-French general during World War II. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as or ju ...
(1902–1947), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Patrice de MacMahon (1808–1893), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
and President of France
The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the po ...
* Paul Maistre (1858–1922)
* Gabriel Malleterre (1858–1923), Governor 1919–1923
* Charles Mangin (1866–1925)
* (1864–1944), Governor 1923–1944
* Edmond-Charles de Martimprey (1808–1883), Governor 1870–1871
* Louis de Maud'huy (1857–1921)
* Michel-Joseph Maunoury (1847–1923), posthumous Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Antoine de Mitry (1857–1924)
* Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor (1770–1849), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, Governor 1847–1848
* Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey (1754–1842), Marshal of the Empire
Marshal of the Empire () was a civil dignity during the First French Empire. It was established by on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France. According to the ''Sénatus-consulte'', a Mar ...
, Governor 1833–1842
* Raoul Magrin-Vernerey a.k.a. Ralph Monclar (1892–1964), Governor 1862–1864
* Georges Mouton
Georges Mouton, comte de Lobau (; 21 February 1770 – 27 November 1838) was a French soldier and political figure who rose to the rank of Marshal of France.
Biography
Born in Phalsbourg, Lorraine, he enlisted in the French Revolutionary A ...
(1770–1838), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* François-Marie-Casimir Négrier (1788–1848) (heart)
* Robert Nivelle (1856–1924)
* (1618–1705), Governor 1696–1705
* Philippe Antoine d'Ornano (1784–1863), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, Governor 1853–1863
* Nicolas Oudinot (1767–1847), Marshal of the Empire
Marshal of the Empire () was a civil dignity during the First French Empire. It was established by on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France. According to the ''Sénatus-consulte'', a Mar ...
, Governor 1842–1847
* Paul Pau (1848–1932)
* Aimable Pélissier (1794–1864), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Henri Putz (1859–1925)
* (1870–1951), Governor 1944–1951
* Pierre Alexis Ronarc'h (1865–1940)
* Pierre Roques (1856–1920), creator of the French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
* Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760–1836), army captain, author of France's national anthem '' La Marseillaise''
* Pierre Ruffey (1851–1928)
* Auguste Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély (1794–1870), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1798–1854), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Maurice Sarrail (1856–1929) (heart)
* Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta (1771–1851), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
* Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier (1742–1819), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, Governor 1804–1815
* Victor d'Urbal (1858–1943)
* Sylvain Charles Valée (1773–1846), Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
Two of these, Gabriel Malleterre and Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque (22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947) was a Free France, Free-French general during World War II. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as or ju ...
, are also honored with a plaque inside the Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral. Another plaque honors Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (1889–1952), posthumous Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, commander of the French First Army during World War II and later commander in the First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
, who is buried in Mouilleron-en-Pareds.
File:Caveau des Gouverneurs.jpg, Burial vaults in the beaneath Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
File:Jean de Lattre de Tassigny memorial plaque, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, Les Invalides, Paris, France - 20050912.jpg, Plaque honoring Marshal de Lattre de Tassigny in Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
File:Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque memorial plaque, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, Les Invalides, Paris, France - 20050912.jpg, Plaque honoring Marshal Leclerc in Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
See also
* List of museums in Paris
* List of hospitals in France
* List of tallest structures in Paris
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* List of tourist attractions in Paris
Paris, the capital of France, has an annual 30 million foreign visitors, and so is one of the most visited cities in the world. Paris's sights include monuments and architecture, such as its Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and neo-classic Baron H ...
* List of tallest domes
* Military history of France
The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas including modern France, Europe, and List of former European colonies, a variety of regions throughout the ...
* San Francisco City Hall, the design of which was influenced by Les Invalides
* La Tour-Maubourg, adjacent Paris Metro stop convenient to Les Invalides
* National Pantheon of Venezuela
* Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
* National Pantheon of the Heroes
* Altar de la Patria
Altar de la Patria, or Altar of the Homeland, is a white marble mausoleum in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic that houses the remains of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic: Juan Pablo Duarte, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and Ram ...
* Artigas Mausoleum
* List of works by James Pradier
* History of early modern period domes
References
External links
*
3d model of interior of Les Invalides
{{DEFAULTSORT:Invalides
Buildings and structures completed in 1676
Baroque buildings in France
Monuments and memorials in Paris
Cemeteries in Paris
Veterans' affairs in France
Military-related organizations
Roman Catholic churches in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
Napoleon museums
Terminating vistas in Paris
Burial sites of the House of la Tour d'Auvergne
Burial sites of the House of Bonaparte
1676 establishments in France
Venues of the 2024 Summer Olympics
Olympic archery venues
Domes
Cathedrals of military ordinariates