Les Invalides

Paris, France

History

What it Is

Built by Louis XIV, better known as the Sun King, Les Invalides was originally a retirement home and military hospital for old and wounded soldiers, known as une invalide in French. It is a large complex that sits on the Seine river, with the iconic Dôme des Invalides, the tallest church in Paris, at its center. Today, it still partially serves its original purpose as a hospital and retirement home, with the addition of museums and tombs of notable French military figures, from the Bonaparte family to WWI general Ferdinand Foch. The Dôme remains exemplary of French Baroque architecture and stands as a symbol of French monarchy. The complex has been the side of many key events in French history; it was stormed during the French Revolution prior to the more famous storming of the Bastille, which was toppled by weapons looted from Les Invalides.

Facts

There are actually two churches in the complex, the hospital chapel and the more famous Dôme.
The museums in the complex display military artefacts looted from foreign countries, most notably the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong Emperor's armor.
Today, the complex still serves disabled veterans, containing a retirement home, a medical center, and a center for external consultations
The Dôme was originally used as a private chapel for the French monarch, so he wouldn't have to hear mass with the disabled veterans

The Build

Gallery

Renders and Screenshots