HÔTEL NATIONAL DES INVALIDES PARIS
Napoleon’s Tomb and French Army Museum
The
Emperor Napoleon was a small man but a giant figure in French and indeed
world history and befitting
that curious
contradiction his final resting
place in the Dome Church of the “Invalides” in Paris is the giant
sarcophagus of imperial colored, red Finnish porphyry stone, carved in simple
majestic scrollwork from a single block. A little man buried in a big, big
box. In fact five boxes within boxes, like a Russian Matruska doll, successive
coffins within coffins of tin, mahogony, lead and ebony, set in a glorifying
rotunda of white marble. Napoleon returned once from exile in 1815 (see Route
Napoleon) and one wonders if his weighty resting
place is meant to keep him from returning again.
The
National Hotel of the Invalids (Hôtel des Invalides) If you don't
know your French, hotel here means hospital, and still houses a military
convalescence, is a magnificent structure in the heart of Paris,
south of the Seine,
across the
beautiful
Pont Alexandre III bridge from the Grand Palais. Begun in 1671 under Louis
XIV and originally completed in 1674 as a veterans home (hence "hotel")
for the soldiers who had fought in Louis’ wars
(see Castle
Brancion).
The Dome Church was added by 1706 along 
with
a smaller Soldier’s Church
the Saint Louis Chapel. By the end of the 17th Century the Invalides housed
almost 4,000 pensioner
veterans and many of its later inhabitants were veterans of Napoleon’s
wars. It wasn’t until 1840 that it was decided to move the famed Emperor
to the Dome Church from his original burial place on the Island of St. Helena. 
Surrounding
the Emperor’s huge burial sarcophogus of which it is truly
difficult
to get the scale from photographs, the Dome Church (Eglise du Dôme),
beautifully baroque itself, displays a collection of Napoleon memorabilia
and iconography.
His most famous coat and hat stand inside a glass box as if waiting for his
return. The Austerlitz Sword, statues and a series of paintings depicting
his military victories and the brilliant little soldier’s rise to near
god-like imperial grandiosity. The tombs of later military heroes of France
were added over time since space seemed by available in the grand anti-chambers.
The
Invalides today is still an official French Army facility, a convalescense
home for veterans, but much of the 17th Century city within a city
is taken up by the French National Army Museum. The upper and lower wings
of the Invalides contain some of the most spectacular examples of arms, armor
and art of 500 years of warfare. The Crown Collections Room is decorated
in muruals
and houses royal collection of ornate weapons 
from
princely arms munfacturers. The Medieval Room has an incredible collection
of swords, armor and weapons
from the 13th to 15th Centuries. The Hunting, Jousting and Tournament Room
has magnificently ornate armored knights mounted on hugh armored steeds as
if ready to charge in the lists. The Louis XIII Room has military weapons
and firearms in the age of gunpowder from the 16th and 17th Centuries along
with arms connected to historical figures from France and the Ottoman Empire.
An Oriental Room and European Room display the finest examples from master
armorers.
The
Western Wing of the Invalides houses a history of modern warfare from the
two successive World Wars I
and II,
centered much on France which Charles DeGaulle
referred to as the “modern thirty years war”. The Two World Wars
department is divided into several rooms depicting the different periods
of this world shaping conflict. The Salle Alsace-Lorraine covers the defeat
of 1871 from which the Army of the Third Republic rose toward the growing 
tension
before WWI from Foch to Dreyfus. The Salle Joffre depicts the
1914 beginnings of the quick “war to end all wars” (not the
last war that was supposed to end quickly). The Salle de Poilus covers the
long trench warfare period amking us wonder if we'll ever learn. Other rooms
follow successive
periods from the end of WWI to WWII and its periods of the “phoney
war” the black and gray years of the early 1940’s to the “years
of light” with the invasion and liberation from 1944 to 1945. There
are weapons and artifacts in these displays, but are as much or more focused
on graphic and multimedia exhibits telling the French national story.
Visiting Napoleon's Tomb and French Army Museum
A single ticket purchased in the souvenir shop gives entrance to both the French Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb for about €8. Youth under 18 are free. The Museum is open everyday except the first Monday of each month and four national holidays. The Invalides is near the Musee D’Orsay and the Rodin Museum (see Rodin Musee) is across the street. Metro and RER stops are Invalides and Varenne. The Eiffel Tower and Seine River Cruise boats are a few longish blocks walk away as well. © Bargain Travel Europe
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Invalides
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