Dômes - Hôtel des Invalides, Paris

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Now that the Département Moderne (1648 - 1870) with the splendid collections from the French military history starting with Louis XIV, XV, XVI, continuing with the Revolution, Napoleon I, the Restoration, Napoleon III have been renovated and displayed in a new museography I can say that this is the best museum of military history in the world.
Furthermore the Invalides are one of the most beautiful architectural complexes of Paris. Approaching by the Seine and the Esplanade or by the back from the south, with the Dome, a great harmony of proportions emanates from the Hôtel des Invalides. (Ref my tip Invalides outside).

The various museums of the Invalides cover in several departments the military history of France, and consequently an important part of Europe, under the following museums or departments now all renovated:

Musée de l'Armée.
- Antique armours and arms department -13th - 17 the century (ref. my tip)
- Modern Department from Louis XIV to Napoleon III (ref. my tip Modern Department )
- The World Wars department 1871-1945 (ref. my tip WW I and II)

Musée des Plans-Reliefs (ref. my tip Plans -reliefs).
Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération (ref. my tip Order of Liberation). (presently closed).

L' Historial Charles De Gaulle.
The Dome Church with the Tomb of Napoleon (ref. my tips Napoleon's deification and Napoleon ).
Artillery (outside).

Open every day (2013): 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03; 10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09.
Closed: 1st Monday of each month except July, August & September.
Evening opening on Tuesday until 21 h from 1/04 to 30/09.
The Dome Church (Napoleon's tomb) is opened until 18.45 h in July and in August.

The ticket office is located on the south side just left of the Dome. No queues from my experience.
Price full: 9,50 €
Discount fee : 7,50 € on Tuesday evenings from 17 h.
Free : under 18 years old.
- 18 to 25 years old, EU citizens.

ONE SINGLE TICKET gives access to the Musée de l'Armée, to the Tomb of Napoleon I, to the Historial Charles de Gaulle (closed on Mondays), the Scale-Models Museum and to the Order of the Liberation Museum.

Photos allowed.

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After 3 years of renovation works the Département Moderne (1648 - 1870) is again open in the Eastern wing of the Invalides court yard with the splendid collections from the French military history starting with Louis XIV, XV, XVI, continuing with the Revolution, Napoleon I, the Restoration to end with Napoleon III.

It was a real pleasure to see again all these brilliant uniforms (photo 1) from a time where soldiers did not mind about camouflage. Glitter and colours were the rule even for the ordinary soldier.
The museography has been markedly improved although some rooms are too dark.
I can agree that the colour of the uniforms has to be preserved from discoloration by light but is this necessary for arms? Some display windows are so dark that it is difficult to distinguish the details of the weapons (see my photo 2).
A great improvement is the use of video means to show some of the famous battles of that time. I could finally understand why Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo.
Terrible souvenir from that battle is the breast-plate from a French carabineer pierced by a cannonball (photo 3).

Historical explanations are in French and English. Indications on individual items are in French.

The two other departments: Antique armours and arms 13-17 th century and the World Wars department 1871-1945 (ref. my tips) are located in the opposite West wing.

Open every day: 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03; 10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09.
Closed: 1st Monday of each month, except July, August & September.
Evening opening on Tuesday until 21 h from 1/04 to 30/09.

The ticket office is located on the south side just left of the Dome. No queues from my experience.
Price (2012) full: 9 €
Discount fee: 7 € on Tuesday evenings from 17 h.
Free: children under 18 years old.
- 18 to 25 years old nationals of the EU.

ONE SINGLE TICKET gives access to the Musée de l'Armée, to the Tomb of Napoleon I, to the Historial Charles de Gaulle (closed on Mondays), the Scale-Models Museum and to the Order of the Liberation Museum.

Photos allowed.

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You will not be surprised that a large part of the Modern Department 1648 - 1870 (ref. my tip Modern department 1648 - 1870) is about Napoleon Bonaparte and his army in the campaigns of the First French Empire against Austria, Germany, Great-Britain, Prussia, Russia, Spain, etc.
Uniforms, weapons, horse harnesses, emblems are exhibited as well as the personal belongings of Napoleon and his marshals and generals. There are also historical paintings of battle scenes and portraits (photo 1).
Remarkable are the objects belonging to Napoleon when he was on campaign (photo 2).

I got struck by two objects:
- The uniform which belonged to a "Grenadier de la Garde Impériale" called Simplet (photo 4).
It's a funny name for a member of the élite Imperial Grenadiers à Pied 1st Regiment as in French "simplet" means simple-minded. I don't think that grenadier Simplet was simple-minded. To be admitted as a Grenadier one needed a high moral and military reputation and to measure at least 1,76 m.
- The white horse of Napoleon. The stuffed horse shown at the museum (photo 3) is more beige than white but I was very pleased to see that famous white horse from Napoleon.
When I was a kid teachers at primary school used to ask their pupils:" quelle était la couleur du cheval blanc de Napoléon" . It seems that the question "what is the colour of Napoleon's white horse" is still in usage in a number of schools.

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The relief map museum, part of the Invalides, is located on the 4th floor of the east wing (same ticket as the Invalides army museum). It is a museum for amateurs of the history of fortifications with its main figure Vauban. Amateurs of scale-model making will also be interested by the techniques and scale of models in the 18th c.
Relief maps are accurate scale-models of fortified sites. It were strategic tools used for the defence of the territory and responding to the advances of the artillery. The first were made under King Louis XIV and later expanded to conquered sites on the frontiers of France.
The collection comprises 100 relief maps on a 1/600 scale, and models of fortifications.
About 25 of them can be seen in the museum under reduced light to conserve the colours of the painted paper.
There are 4 areas: the Channel, the Atlantic coast, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean.
The northern area of France with towns fortified by Vauban in Belgium is exposed in Lille.
Most spectacular are the models of fortifications such as the Mont-Saint-Michel, the citadel of Belle-Ile, the port of Bayonne on a huge surface of 8,50 m x 6,60 m, the Château d'If at Marseille, etc.
The precision of these relief-maps made them a source of information about the history of urban development.

Open: 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03
10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09
Closed: 1st Monday of each month.
Price: combined ticket Invalides 9 €, reduced 7€, free less than 26 years old. Includes entry to the Tomb of Napoleon, Army museum and Museum of the Order of Liberation.

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The Invalides are in my opinion one of the most beautiful architectural complexes of Paris. Approaching by the Seine and the Esplanade or by the back from the south, with the Dome, a great harmony of proportions emanates from the Hôtel des Invalides. The architect Bruant was appointed by Louvois secretary of War under the reign of Louis XIV.

The wall in the front part of the garden is surmounted with ancient guns showing a beautiful green patina (photo 1). From the gate the visitor has a fine view on the whole frontage with the top of the gilded Dome above the roofs.
The garden aligns tubes of old guns. The sight towards the Seine and the Grand Palais in the axis of this gun (photo 2) whose back represents a head of smiling lion is superb.
The interior courtyard is at the same time sober and elegant (photo 3). Tubes of guns are aligned on the sides. Under the arcades stand an old gun on wheels (photo 4). The Invalides is since 1871 also an Artillery museum.
As for the back of the Invalides, the Dome Church is magnificent. The architect was Jules Hardouin-Mansart under Louis XIV (photo 5).

Open: 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03
10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09
Closed: 1st Monday of each month.
Price (2013): combined ticket Invalides 9,50 €, reduced 7,50 €, free less than 26 years old. Includes entry to the Tomb of Napoleon, Army museum, Relief Map museum and Museum of the Order of Liberation.
Inner courtyard: free
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Les Invalides constituent à mes yeux un des plus beaux ensembles architecturaux de Paris. Que l'on s'approche par le côté Seine, par l'esplanade, ou par l'arrière, par le Dôme, il se dégage de l'Hôtel des Invalides une grande harmonie de proportions.
A l'avant plan se détache le mur surmonté de quelques cannons à la belle patine verte derrière lequel s'étend le jardin qui ouvre une belle perspective sur l'ensemble de la façade (photo 1) due à l'architecte Libéral Bruant choisi par Louvois ministre de la Guerre de Louis XIV.
Au dessus des toits se détache le Dôme avec ses dorures. Le jardin aligne des tubes de canons anciens. La vue vers la Seine et le Grand Palais dans l'axe de ce canon (photo 2) dont l'arrière représente une tête de lion grimaçant est superbe. Depuis 1871 se trouve ici le Musée d'Artillerie.
La cour intérieure est à la fois sobre et élégante (photo 3). Des tubes de canons sont alignés sur les côtés. Sous les arcades se trouve une belle pièce d'artillerie ancienne sur roues (photo 4).
Quant à l'arrière des Invalides au sud, la vue du Dôme n'a pas son égal en Europe à mon avis. C''est l'architecte du Roi Louis XIV Jules Hardouin-Mansart qui réalise la grande église royale en 1676 (photo 5).

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The Saint-Louis Church of the Invalids has something unique in Europe by the fact that the building is double: the nave constitutes the Church of the Soldiers, while the chorus, under the cupola, is called the Dome. Up to the Revolution, the two churches used the same high altar. The distinction was concretized by the installation, in 1873, of a large window separating the two parts.
There is presently a marked contrast between the Church of the Soldiers with a clear and sober décor (and few visitors) and the much visited Dome with the tomb of Napoleon and its magnificent marble decors but there exists an architectural continuity particularly visible from aerial views.

The architect was Jules Hardouin-Mansart who produced in 1680 the final design for the Dome des Invalides, a Greek cross inscribed in a square with an attached circular presbytery. It is a highlight of the French classical architecture and a point of reference in the Parisian landscape culminating at 101 meters. In 1989, at the time of the bicentenary of the French revolution, the dome was regilded with 550.000 sheets of gold, i.e. more than ten kilos.
The Saint-Louis church (presently a cathedral) was completed in 1679 and intended for the worship and the daily offices of the disabled army veterans.
Another unique characteristic is the fact that the vault is decorated with military trophies of France, and contains the tombs of Marshals of France, important military chiefs as well as many governors of the Invalides.
Saint-Louis des Invalides is attached administratively to the museum of the Army and is today the seat of vicariate to the French Armies and used each year for commemorative masses among which the mass remembering the death of Napoleon I.

The Organ built by Alexandre Thierry in 1679 is famous but was repaired and modified on several occasions. It is in this church that the world's première of Hector Berlioz's Requiem was given in 1837.

Open:10 - 17 or 18 h. Entry is free.

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The WW I and WW II departments have been renovated and extended what is a good thing because this part of the Invalides Army Museum was somewhat short in the previous years.
This department deals with the military history from 1871 to 1945 on an expanded surface of 3500 m2 since July 2006.
I was pleased to see that this period of history in which France had a central position is now up to other museums WW departments like the ones of Brussels, London or Vienna for example.
Are exposed French and foreign uniforms, certain having belonged to major figures - Foch, Joffre, de Lattre, Leclerc - diverse armaments and objects of the everyday equipment of the soldier.
I found very interesting the windows showing proposals around 1900 for less visible uniforms as those inherited from Napoleon III. (see cavalry helms around 1900 on photo 1). But they were finally refused so that the French soldiers went into the WW I with "garance" red coloured trousers (photo 2) what made of them quite visible targets for the German riflemen.

I was much impressed by a model of the famous German heavy howitzer called "Grosse Bertha". My grand parents told me about that howitzer used in Belgium against the forts of Liège and Namur in 1914. It would fire 800 kg shells at 9 Km distance (photo 3).
Is also shown one of the "taxis de la Marne" (photo 4). In September 1914, 600 taxis from Paris were requisitioned to bring troops to the Marne battlefield. The movement started at the Invalides and conveyed 5 infantry battalions (total 5000 man).

What is not shown in this museum are heavy weapons like tanks or planes. For the tanks one should visit the "Musée des Blindés" in Saumur (on the Loire) where there are more than 800 tanks!

Open: 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03
10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09
Closed: 1st Monday of each month.
Price: combined ticket Invalides 9 €, reduced 7€, free less than 26 years old. Includes entry to the Tomb of Napoleon, Army museum, Relief Map museum and Museum of the Order of Liberation.

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This museum is housed in a wing of the Invalides. It will interest all those who want to know more about the Free French Forces, the Resistance, the Order of Liberation (a gallery and 6 rooms on the ground floor) and the Deportation (first floor) during WW II.

The free French Forces were formed in the UK after the Appeal of General de Gaulle on 18/06/1940. Volunteers, escaped from occupied France, formed companies, battalions and finally two divisions: the 1st Free French Division and the 2nd Armoured Division (which liberated Paris) as well as Free French Naval Forces, Free French AirForce with the famous Normandy-Niemen Fighter Squadron (fighting with the Russians), the Commandos.

The Order of Liberation was instituted by the General de Gaulle in 1940 to reward men, towns and fighting units who had distinguished themselves in the fight to liberate France and her Empire. The insignia of the Order, the prestigious Cross of Liberation, was awarded to only 1038 men and women, 5 towns and 18 fighting units. They carry the rank of "Compagnon de la Libération".
The Commemoration Room is devoted to General de Gaulle and General Leclerc

The Resistance within France, the "Maquis" are illustrated in the gallery. Among the great figures stands Jean Moulin.

The Deportation is illustrated by a number of objects from concentration and extermination camps.

THE MUSEUM OF THE ORDER OF LIBERATION IS CLOSED FROM 1/01/2012 TILL 1/06/2014.
"Le Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération est fermé pour rénovation du 1er janvier 2012 au 1er juin 2014."

Price: combined ticket Invalides (to be bought at the Army Museum ticket office)
9 €, reduced 7€, free less than 26 years old. Paris Museum Pass.

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This department of medieval arms has been renovated in 2005 and with 2500 m2 has now one of the best collections in the world after Vienna "Hofjagd-und Rüstkammer" and Madrid (now transferred to Toledo) (ref. my reviews of these museums).

The new circuit of visit evokes the military history of France between the 13th and the 17th century, combined with thematic spaces about the productions of the big European workshops in Milan, Augsbourg and Innsbruck in the 16th century, the suits of armours of joust and tournaments, the weapons for hunting, the oriental weapons. Most spectacular are the suits of armour of the French kings in the Royal room - Crown Collections. This former dining hall gathers together prestigious pieces from French and foreign royal collections of ornate weapons from princely arms manufacturers

This department is really worthwhile visiting.

Open: 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03
10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09
Closed: 1st Monday of each month (except July, August, September).
Price (2013): combined ticket Invalides 9 € 50, reduced 7 € 50, free less than 26 years old. Includes entry to the Tomb of Napoleon, Army museum, Relief Map museum and Museum of the Order of Liberation.

NEW: Spectacle sons et lumière "La Nuit aux Invalides" 18/04 - 7/05/2013

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As I am not an admirer of Napoleon, or of the other potentates who put Europe in fire and in blood, I visited several times the Invalides leaving aside Napoleon's tomb.
Nevertheless Bonaparte is not unknown to me because he lost the definitive battle in Waterloo, that is not far from my home.
During my recent visit to the museum of the army at the Invalides, I took advantage of my museum pass to enter under the dome. No doubt that the dome with its gilts is one of the grandiose Paris' monuments. Furthermore the flowery gardens in front of the monument are beautiful

Inside I was unpleasantly surprised by the almost deification of the emperor Napoleon, the monumental sarcophagus, the souvenirs of Bonaparte presented as saint's relics.
The worship of the emperor is not for me; too many people suffered because of his megalomania. However I recognize that his rationalization of antiquated legal systems in the "Code Napoléon" was a great progress for the principle of equality before the law and is still influencing present European legal systems.

There are also tombs from French military heroes such as Maréchal Foch, Allied Supreme Commander in the First World War, Maréchal Leclerc and Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny heroes of World War II but the most outstanding Frenchman of WW II and the 20th c. the General Charles de Gaulle has no tomb here, nor in the Pantheon. He is modestly buried at the parish cemetery of the small town Colombey- Les-Deux-Eglises as he wanted.

Open: 10 - 17 h from 1/10 to 31/03
10 - 18 h from 1/04 to 30/09
Closed: 1st Monday of each month.
Price: combined ticket Invalides 9 €, reduced 7€, free less than 26 years old. Includes entry to the Tomb of Napoleon, Army museum, Relief Map museum and Museum of the Order of Liberation.

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La déification de Napoléon.

N'étant pas un admirateur de Napoléon, ni des autres potentats qui ont mis l'Europe à feu et à sang, j'ai visité plusieurs fois les Invalides en laissant de côté le tombeau de Napoléon. Pourtant le personnage ne m'est pas inconnu puisqu'il a perdu la bataille définitive à Waterloo, c'est-à-dire pas loin de ma demeure.

Lors de ma récente visite au musée de l'armée aux Invalides, j'ai profité de mon museum pass pour entrer sous le dôme resplendissant de ses dorures. Le dôme est incontestablement un des monuments grandioses de Paris. De plus les jardins fleuris qui le précèdent sont de toute beauté.

J'ai été désagréablement surpris à l'intérieur par la quasi déification de l'empereur Napoléon, le sarcophage monumental, les souvenirs de Bonaparte présentes comme des reliques de saint.
Le culte de l'empereur n'est pas pour moi; trop de gens ont souffert à cause de sa folie des grandeurs.