About This Location
Look at the huge classical façade and the wide courtyards - this is not just a monument, it was built as a working “city” for soldiers. In 1670, Louis XIV ordered it as a home and hospital for wounded and retired veterans, a statement that the state would not forget the people who fought its wars. Step into the Cour d’Honneur and notice the serious, ceremonial feeling of the space. This courtyard was designed for military parades, and the atmosphere still fits - stone, symmetry, and the quiet weight of discipline. It is easy to picture lines of uniforms here, long before it became a place for visitors. Now look toward the golden dome. The Dôme des Invalides was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, completed in the early 1700s, and it still dominates the skyline with its gold-leaf shine. Inside, this is where France placed its most famous military tomb - Napoleon I rests in a vast crypt beneath the dome, finished in 1861. There is also a revolutionary twist to this place. On July 14, 1789, the crowd that stormed the Bastille first came here to seize thousands of muskets and cannon - so this quiet complex played a direct role in one of history’s loudest days. And even now, Les Invalides is not only about the past - parts of the complex still serve veterans, alongside the museums that tell France’s military story.