This is the final resting place for one of the most famous figures in history, Napoleon. The Hôtel des Invalides, commonly called Les Invalides, is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
During the seventeenth century, this building was used as a home and hospital for retired French soldiers. Basically their version of the VA here in the United States. Over 4,000 soldiers and marines who had served their country for over ten years could retire here. Most men lived out their days studying or mending shoes and army suits.
The Saint-Louis-des-Invalides Cathedral was constructed for Louis XIV and the aging soldiers. Services would be held each day, but the King and the soldiers had different entries. The Église du Dôme was built between 1677 and 1706 and later became the pantheon where the remains of Napoleon I reside.
The Soldiers’ Chapel is decorated with hundreds of, what you could call, trophies, taken from conquered countries. These… souvenirs represent conquests from 1805 until the twentieth century. Inside you will also see the Musée de l’Armée, Military Museum of the Army of France.
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