Les Invalides – When the “Soldier’s House” Becomes a Magnificent Palace

One of the most beautiful sights of Paris, at least in my opinion, is the one seen from the Alexander III Bridge, when standing with your back to the right bank (The 8rd District(and looking ahead towards the left bank)The 7rd DistrictWhere the bridge ends, an avenue begins, and at its end stands a huge palace with a golden dome, all radiating grandeur and glory.

This palace is called Les Invalides, or in Hebrew the Palace of the Invalids (or more correctly the Palace of the Disabled), a somewhat strange name for such a magnificent palace. How did it get this name? What is there in it today? And why is it one of the Paris attractions Are they really worth visiting? I will answer all these questions and more for you today.

But before all that, let me invite you to a short virtual tour of the palace. The invalid, which I created using the computer game Assassin's Creed Unity. During the video you will learn about the history of the Invalid, watch some of the most beautiful masks in it and all with my full guidance 🙂 .

Have you finished watching the video? Excellent! So left, right, step forward! We are setting off…

The history of the invalid

If there is something thatLouis XIV He loved, perhaps more than women, these wars and the building of magnificent palaces. However, wars had an unpleasant social side effect: wounded soldiers. These ungrateful ones could not die on the battlefields like their comrades, but insisted on returning to Paris.

The King of France had a highly developed aesthetic sense, so he didn't really enjoy seeing crippled, eyeless, and deformed people begging for alms on the streets.Von NefHowever, beyond that, these people often became quite a nuisance because some of them engaged in begging (at best) or armed robbery (at worst).

So how do you solve the problem of the disabled, who flooded the streets of Paris following the wars of Louis XIV In the Low Countries, which took place during the 60s? We go back to the second hobby of a French king, building palaces! And so the decision is made to build a home for the war invalids of armies France On the left bank of the Seine, there was a vacant plot of land. This building was called the Hôtel national des Invalides (National Hotel for the Invalides), and since the name was a bit too long, over the years it was shortened and became the Les Invalides we know today.

Minister Lobois manages to outwit Louis XIV.

Madame de Maintenon, the second wife of Louis XIV, once said of him:

All he cares about is grandeur, splendor, and symmetry.

Indeed, even a functional structure, such as a building intended to house disabled French soldiers, was transformed into a magnificent palace. The palace was designed by the famous architect Libéral Bruant (1635-1697), who created an enormous 196-meter-long façade and 17 interior courtyards.

A large church named after Saint Louis (one of Louis XIV's ancestors) was also added to the Invalides, where soldiers prayed. Later, the church became the residence of the bishop of the French army and is therefore called the Cathedral of Saint Louis (the word cathedral comes from the word cathedra, which means the seat of the bishop).

Surprisingly, the war invalids for whom this magnificent building was built were not very enthusiastic about their new home, despite receiving free medical care and full board. The reason for this was that the place was ruled by a harsh military regime, which made them feel as if they were in a prison. As a result, anyone who deviated, even by an inch, from the rules of conduct in the institution could be punished by having their wine allowance taken away (no small thing when it comes to the French) or even by a stay in prison.

And if all that wasn't enough, the food there was simply terrible and awful. How bad was the food? Let's say that one day, a complaint by one of the residents about the quality of the soup he was served ignited a violent revolt. The Marquis de Louvois (1641-1691 François Michel Le Tellier de Louvois), who as Louis XIV's Minister of War was responsible for the Invalides, suppressed this revolt with great violence, and the person who instigated the revolt was executed in the palace courtyard by firing squad. Since then, there have been no more complaints about the quality of the food...

And speaking of Lobois, since he ran the place he wanted to make the Invalides his private burial place. Louis XIV could not tolerate such impudence and had his body removed from the Invalides, after the Minister of War was buried there. Lobois's body was transferred to the Capuchin monastery, not far fromPlace VendomeHowever, he still managed to outwit the Sun King and leave his mark on the Invalid Palace, even if only in a somewhat indirect way.

If you enter the courtyard of honor of the Invalides, from the main entrance, and look up at the fifth attic from the left, you will discover a large window. Above the window you will see a wolf looking into the courtyard. Wolf in French is called Loup (pronounced “lo”) and the verb “to look” in French is Voit (pronounced “voit”). So if we take these two words and put them together what do we get? That’s right Loup Voit or Lobois! Here is a picture of this window, in case you look for it on your next visit to the Invalides:

And what about Louis XIV? Did he make the Invalides one of the places intended to commemorate his name? If you visit the Palais des Invalides, you will discover, at the main entrance gate to the palace, a relief depicting the Sun King dressed in the uniform of a Roman emperor. However, if you thought the relief was created by the Sun King, you are in for a surprise. This relief was created not by Louis XIV himself but by his great-grandson, Louis XV, who admired his great-grandfather.

But don't worry, Louis XIV couldn't resist and left a small souvenir on the gate in the form of a Latin sign that reads: "Louis the Great, in his royal splendor and thanks to his ability to foresee the future, erected this building in 14." A small sign indeed, but what a big ego 🙂

The Invalides becomes Napoleon's final resting place.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Invalides Palace was closely associated with Louis XIV, but then theFrench Revolution And the situation changed completely. The revolutionaries decided to deface the relief of Louis XIV on the Invalides Gate, which had been created by Guillaume Cousteau. As a result, the relief we see today was built by Pierre Cartelier, at the request of Louis XVIII, who commissioned the work in 14.

Few know that the invalid played a very important role at the beginning French RevolutionIn July 1789, a large crowd of people descended on the Invalides, hoping to find weapons there. Indeed, several cannons and rifles were found there, which the revolutionaries took straight to the fortress. BastilleWithout this weapon, the Bastille probably would not have been captured and all of French history could have looked completely different.

After the revolutionaries came to power Napoleon And he decided to change the purpose of this palace. Being a military man, he really liked the Invalides Palace and decided to turn it into a mausoleum for the great military commanders of France (a bit likePantheon of Paris But military).

That is why he ordered the bones of Turenne (1611-1675 Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne vicomte de Turenne) and Vauban (Sébastien Le Prestre, marquis de Vauban 1633-1707), two of France's greatest generals, to be transferred to the magnificent Saint-Louis Cathedral. He also ordered the enemy flags he had captured during his many wars to be kept in the adjacent church, where the common soldiers prayed.

Did Napoleon already ask to be buried in the cathedral of the Invalides Palace? On the one hand, there is no official request from him for this. On the other hand, in his will he wrote that he wanted to be buried on the banks of the Seine, so the hint was certainly thick…

In any case, on December 15, 1840, after a long and arduous journey from the island of Saint Helena, Napoleon's coffin arrived in Paris. The long funeral journey began withArc de Triomphe, passed inChamps Elysees וPlace de la Concorde And finally he reached the Church of Saint Louis, where the coffin of the former emperor was placed.

Victor Hugo Described the end of Napoleon's funeral procession this way:

Suddenly, cannon fire was heard from three different places on the horizon… some distance away, the beating of drums was heard. Then, as Napoleon's funeral carriage approached the palace, the sun, which had been hidden until then, emerged from behind the clouds. The effect was nothing short of amazing.

Initially, Napoleon’s coffin was placed in a corner of the church, but some time later work began on building a tomb complex worthy of the emperor. To do this, they demolished the magnificent marble floor and built a lower floor, where a marble coffin, the work of the famous sculptor Louis Visconti (1791-1853), is placed. The emperor himself is buried in 6 coffins, each made of a different material and to me it reminds a bit of a Russian matryoshka doll (in the country such a doll is called a “babushka”).

Regarding Napoleon's tomb, the father of my friend Itay Salieh said the following witty sentence:

Of course, there is a small Jewish point here too. In the courtyard of the Invalides, Captain Alfred Dreyfus' ranks and sword were returned, after they had been taken from him in 1894 in a humiliating ceremony at the École militaire, which is within walking distance of the Invalides. The ceremony took place after a decade-long struggle for Dreyfus's innocence, which we will discuss in another article soon.

Today, Les Invalides is a tourist attraction thanks to the Army Museum and, of course, Napoleon's tomb. How can you visit there and what not to miss? We'll talk about all of this in the next chapter.

The Invalid – information for travelers (opening hours, tickets, must-sees, etc.)

So after learning about the fascinating history of the Invalides, it's time to go and visit it. Let's start with some important logistical information and then talk about what not to miss there.

How do we get there?

The easiest way is to take the lines ofMetro 8, 13 or RER C and get off at Les Invalides station. Alternatively, if you don't mind walking a bit, I would recommend getting off at Champs Elysee Clemanceau station (line 1 or 13) and crossing the beautiful Pont Alexandre III. After standing on the bridge and looking at the Seine for a bit andEiffel Tower You can continue in a moment to the Palais des Invalides.

Opening Hours

The museums and church are open every day in the summer between 1000-1800 and in the winter between 1000-1700.

Tickets

Entrance to the Cathedral of Saint-Louis and the museums costs money (in contrast, entrance to the Invalides and the Soldiers' Church is free). As with all attractions in Paris, it is recommended to buy your tickets in advance and save yourself time queuing at the box office. You can buy tickets atMonuments page Site.

What should not be missed?

Army Museum (Musée de l'Armée)

Most people I know come to Les Invalides to visit Napoleon's tomb, and some miss the Army Museum or spend only a short time there, which is a shame. It is a fascinating museum, considered one of the richest and largest of its kind in the world. Its foundation was laid in 1777, when incredibly accurate models of 43 fortresses designed by Vauban, the greatest fortress designer in French history, were moved here.

If you want to get a free “taste” of what awaits you there, you are welcome to look at the cannon collection at the entrance to the Invalides and in its courtyard. You can find quite a few cannons there from the time of Louis XIV to the present day and get information about them. After you finish looking at the various cannons, you can enter the museum itself (provided you have bought tickets in advance. If not, you must go to the box office located in the southwestern part of the complex).

The museum covers all aspects of war and provides us with an overview of the development of the fighting ability of the human race from the Paleolithic period, when we fought with spears and stones, to the days when we threw atomic bombs at each other. In this museum you will discover that even destructive tools can be incredibly beautiful and you will find swords and armor, which could also be displayed inThe Louvre Museum Because of their beauty.

In 2008, an exhibit dedicated to General Charles de Gaulle was added to the museum, which depicts his military career, from World War I to the end of World War II. However, in my opinion, the most interesting parts of the museum are the videos that recreate historical battles (surprisingly, most of them depict French victories). These are interactive exhibits, which allow you to read about the various battles and see them recreated on a digital map (they can be viewed in English, so even if you don't speak French, you can still enjoy the experience). French You can enjoy them.)

Since watching the battles takes time (even if you don't watch every single battle) and since there is quite a bit to see in this museum, I would recommend dedicating at least two hours to it, and preferably even more.

Saint-Louis Cathedral

This magnificent church is home to the bishop of the French army, which is why it has been awarded the title of cathedral. I would suggest starting with the free part of the church, which can be entered from the large courtyard of the Invalides complex.

If you are lucky, you may get to hear the church organ playing while you are there. In that case, you will be happy to know that it is the original organ, which has never been replaced, and on which Berlioz's Requiem was first played in 1837. The excellent acoustics and musical tradition have led to this church hosting a series of concerts every year and it is definitely worth checking and finding out what will be played there during your stay in Paris.

After you have finished visiting this part of the church, go outside and go to the southern exit of the large courtyard. Go a little further and you will see the magnificent entrance to the second part of the church, known as the Dome Church (Eglise de la Dôme), thanks to the magnificent dome designed by Jules Erdoïn Mansard. As mentioned, this church is adjacent to the previous church we visited but is separated from it by a huge glass window.

The main attraction in this church is of course Napoleon's tomb. However, after you have finished admiring Visconti's enormous tombstone, I recommend that you wander around the church a bit and take a look at some very interesting tombs. You will find there the tombs of two of Napoleon's brothers (Joseph and Jerome Bonaparte) and the tomb of his son, Napoleon II, who died at the age of 2 in Schönbrunn Palace from tuberculosis.

Beyond that, you will also find some very beautiful tombstones of some of the greatest French generals, such as Marshal Touraine, the greatest general of 17th-century France. However, in my opinion, the most beautiful tombstone is that of Marshal Foch, whose coffin was carried on the shoulders of his soldiers.

Walk around the church, take your time and enjoy its splendor. When you feel like you have exhausted everything the church can offer you, you are welcome to go outside. Our tour ends here, but if you feel like walking a little further, here are some ideas:

• If you are looking for another museum to visit, I highly recommend Rodin Museum, which is about a fifteen-minute walk away.
• If you are on a journey following the attractions then of course the next natural step would be to go and climb the Eiffel Tower, which is about a twenty-minute walk from the Invalides.
• However, if you are looking for a special walking tour that starts not so far from here (also about a 20-minute walk) and experiences something completely different, I recommend you A hiking trail following the Art Nouveau architecture of Jules Levirot.

Night at the Invalides – a spectacular sound and light show

I'm sure that after reading this article you're ready to set off and discover the Invalides. However, let me ask for another minute of your time and suggest another attraction.

This is a spectacular sound and light show that has been taking place in the large courtyard of the Invalides Palace since 2012 and is called La Nuit aux Invalides, or in Hebrew, “Night at the Invalides.”

This show takes place every summer in July, August and early September, and during it you can learn about the history of this magnificent building through electronic light shows, which “dress” the invalid in all kinds of “images” and tell his story. This is undoubtedly a great way to end a fascinating day, and if you would like to get more information about the show and purchase tickets, you can do so via This link.

Want to visit interesting cemeteries in Paris?

The Invalides is not a classic cemetery, but as you have seen, quite a few important people are buried there. If you like visiting cemeteries and enjoying the beauty and stories that can be found there, I highly recommend this article. The Cemeteries of Paris If Only the Graves Could Talk.