Les Invalides

Les Invalides (French pronunciation: ​[lezɛ̃valid]), commonly known as Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids), or also as Hôtel des Invalides, is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose. The buildings house the Musée de l'Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the Dôme des Invalides, a large church with the burial site for some of France's war heroes, most notably Napoleon Bonaparte (lists below).

History

Louis XIV initiated the project by an order dated 24 November 1670, as a home and hospital for aged and unwell soldiers: the name is a shortened form of hôpital des invalides. The architect of Les Invalides was Libéral Bruant. The selected site was in the then suburban plain of Grenelle (plaine de Grenelle). By the time the enlarged project was completed in 1676, the river front measured 196 meters and the complex had fifteen courtyards, the largest being the cour d'honneur ("court of honour") for military parades. It was then felt that the veterans required a chapel. Jules Hardouin Mansart assisted the aged Bruant, and the chapel was finished in 1679 to Bruant's designs after the elder architect's death. This chapel was known as Église Saint-Louis des Invalides, and daily attendance of the veterans in the church services was required.

Invalides (Paris Métro and RER)

Invalides is a Metro & RER station on lines 8 and 13 of the Paris Métro and on RER line C in the 7th arrondissement, located near and named after les Invalides.

The metro station was opened on 13 July 1913 as part of the original section of Line 8 between Beaugrenelle (now Charles Michels on line 10) and Opéra. The line 13 platforms were opened on 20 December 1923 as part of the original section of line 10 between Invalides and Croix Rouge (a station east of Sèvres – Babylone, which was closed during World War II). On 27 July 1937 the section of line 10 between Invalides and Duroc was transferred to become the first section of old line 14, which was connected under the Seine and incorporated into line 13 on 9 November 1976.

The Palais Bourbon, seat of the French National Assembly (the lower house of the French Parliament), is nearby.

Lines serving this station

Station layout

Métro

RER

Gallery

Street-level entrance at Invalides

Street-level entrance at Invalides