The Hotel National des Invalides is mostly known to tourists as the Tomb of Napoleon.  However, the former Emperor of France was a relative latecomer to this enormous complex. Les Invalides is also home to several museums and exhibits including the Museum of the Army, which is an absolute must for those more interested in cannons and mortars than Cézanne and Monet.

Louis XIV built the complex in the 1670's to house the veterans of his countless wars.  The Hotel housed over four thousand veterans with its own church. By 1708 another much more ornate church, complete with a dome was built for visiting aristocrats and would later be the resting-place of an Emperor.  It was from this military complex that angry mobs armed themselves on their way to storm the Bastille prison in 1789. Today the weapons are still here, just not in working order.  The old parade grounds are lined with bronze cannons and shells ranging from basilisks and serpentines of Louis XIV to the cannons and mortars used to such effectiveness by Napoleon. A closer look at these weapons shows just how much care and artistic flair was used in their creation.

Inside the Museum of the Army the exhibits span the length of French military might from battle-worn armor and full plate mail used in jousting to early firearms and weapons of the World Wars.  Of course there are tons of Napoleonic artifacts -including his stuffed dog! Other militaria include battle emblems, an excellent room dedicated to the First World War and a museum dedicated to the French Resistance of WWII. There is even an exhibit of toy soldiers spanning several centuries. After getting a firm understanding of French military history it is time to venture to the dome and have a visit with an Emperor.

In 1840 Napoleon I was finally brought back to France and received a hero's funeral before being temporarily interred at St Jerome's Chapel. By 1861, the Emperor's tomb was finished under King Louis's dome and his body was transferred to Les Invalides. Judging from what we know about the man, the neoclassical statues in white marble, the gilding of the church and his place directly under dome befit this megalomaniac.

During the capture of Paris in World War II by the Germans, Hitler made a special visit to this building to pay respects to his fellow despot.  A famous photograph records the meeting of two of the "anti-Christs" of Nostradamus. Upon my first visit to the crypt I could not help but think of this encounter and how both Bonaparte and Hitler caused massive destruction across Europe.  And yet Hitler is rightly vilified while the "little Corsican" rests in a red stone sarcophagus under a magnificent dome.  I think it shows a little of the French psyche in that although he caused many problems and suffering, he also re-ignited the glory of the French nation from the horrors of the Revolution.  Because of this, the French national identity has forgiven him.

Overall the Hotel National des Invalides is fun as well as informative. The suits of armor, swords and cannons are a big hit with kids and veterans alike.  The collections dedicated to the World Wars are somber but speak to the visitor through creative displays of uniforms and artifacts. The area is great for a walk across the Alexander III Bridge or along the river towards the Eiffel Tower. Besides it is not everyday that you can pay your respects to one of history's greatest generals.

Links:

Official Site in French:
http://www.invalides.org

To familiarize yourself with the life of Napoleon:
http://www.napoleonguide.com

Nearby hotels:

Paris Hotel Alma
Paris Hotel de Lille
Paris Hotel Malar

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Justin Demetri is a talented contributor to Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com. Should you like him to write professionally for you, please contact him at  .