Les Invalides

Facts about Les Invalides

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•  Built in 1670, under the reign of Louis XIV, it is now considered one of the finest examples of French classical architecture

• The building was funded by a five year levy of soldier’s salaries in the army at the time – ironic, seeing as the church was built as a military hospital

• After the storming of the Bastille on the 14th July 1789, all the 28,000 weapons were stored in Les Invalides

• Les Invalides houses Napoleon’s dead body in the cupola in St Jerome’s chapel

• The large church covers an area of 13 hectares and is now home to Musée de l’Armée, Musée des Plans-Reliefs, Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération and L’Eglise de St-Louis-des-Invalides

• On the 15th December 1840 the Invalides received the Napoleon Bonaparte’s remains and they were placed to the cupola in St Jerome’s Chapel, until the tomb, designed by Visconti, was built and  finished in 1861. 

• The gold dome on the top, which makes the building one of Paris’ most iconic, was to symbolise the King of the Sun

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 A virtual tour via Electronic Eye