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Origin and history

The Hôtel des Invalides, located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, was ordered by Louis XIV in 1670 to welcome the invalid soldiers of his armies. Designed by Liberal Bruand and Jules Hardouin-Mansart, this architectural complex combined hospice, military hospital, manufacture and church, inspired by the Escurial. The Royal Edict of 1670 was designed to provide a dignified retreat for veterans while responding to political issues, such as the pacification of the streets of Paris, where these former soldiers, often beggars, created unrest.

The construction began in 1671 under the direction of Liberal Bruand, with a five-course organization centered on the royal court. The church, originally planned by Bruand, was finally entrusted to Hardouin-Mansart in 1676 after political tensions between Louvois and Colbert. The dome, completed in 1706, became a symbol of monarchy, with a height of 107 meters and a sumptuous interior decoration, including frescoes by Jean Jouvenet and Charles de la Fosse. The institution hosted up to 6,000 residents under Louis XIV, providing care, housing and work.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the Invalides. On 14 July 1789 the Parisian crowd stormed the hotel to seize the 32,000 rifles and 27 cannons stored, contributing to the capture of the Bastille. The institution, renamed "the National Hotel of the Disabled" in 1791, survived despite plans to close. Under Napoleon I, the Invalids regained their prestige: the general organized the first ceremony of the Legion of Honour in 1804 and placed the sword of Frederick II of Prussia there in 1807.

The dome of the Invalides, disacralized, became a military pantheon. Napoleon I was buried there in 1861 in a sarcophagus of red quartzite, after the repatriation of his ashes in 1840 under Louis-Philippe. Other historical figures, such as Turenne, Vauban, Foch or Lyautey, rest there. The church of St. Louis, declared cathedral in 1986, houses captured enemy flags, while the Army Museum, created in 1905, has maintained military collections since the 17th century.

Today, the Hotel des Invalides remains an emblematic place, combining military memory, national ceremonies and care for veterans. Its golden dome, visible throughout Paris, dominates a historical esplanade where solemn tributes take place, such as that paid to the victims of the attacks of 2015. The institution, which is still active, is home to about 100 major war invalids and houses national defence agencies.

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