Paris: L'Hotel National des Invalides

L'Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids) is a complex of buildings containing military history museums and monuments, a church, a hospital and retirement home for injured veterans, and a burial site for some of France's war heroes, including Napoleon Bonaparte. I am definitely not a fan of museums dedicated to military history. I much prefer looking at Monet's and Renoir's over uniforms and weapons, so I entered this complex of museums mainly to humour Scott. I will admit, in writing, that it was, at times, an interesting place to visit. The domed chapel where Napoleon is entombed is positively amazing. 

Louis XIV commissioned this project in 1670 because he wanted a hospital and home for aged and unwell soldiers. 450 years later there are still about 100 elderly or incapacitated former soldiers who reside here. Originally the complex contained a chapel where residents were required to worship daily. Once that was completed, Louis XIV ordered that a separate private royal chapel be added. Both are quite beautiful.

Dome of the crypt of Napoleon and the L'Hotel national des Invlides

Napoleon statue

looking up at the Dome

Inside the dome

Looking towards the chapel.

Napoleon's Tomb

A beautiful quiet resting place for a war hero.

Inside the chapel. They were preparing for a service so we could not go in.

Part of the museum complex.

Scott and one of the really big cannons at the museum.

This picture is of a photograph hanging in the museum. Evidence of difficult times.

This was amazingly small! I cannot imagine someone inside of it, let alone hanging from an airplane shooting at something! Scott tells me his Uncle Jimmy had that job during the war. Yikes!