The gold on the Dôme des Invalides

Why so little gold for so much surface

Because gold leaf is thinner than most people can picture: some tens of times thinner than a human hair. Twelve kilos is enough to cover the trophies, the garlands, the flutes and the lantern of an entire dome, in hundreds of thousands of leaves laid one at a time. It is not the material that costs, it is the hand.

That is also why gilding does not last forever: Paris rain, pollution and frost work at the surface, and it has to be done again every fifty to a hundred years.

Where to look at it

From the esplanade, to the north, you see the silhouette. From the Place Vauban and the avenue de Tourville, to the south, you see the detail of the trophies and the proportions of the drum. And from the Pont Alexandre-III you get the full axis: that is the view the bridge was composed for. See the esplanade page.

Book your entry

The ticket below opens the Dôme, the tomb and the four museums, for the whole day.

Frequently asked questions