The history of the Hôtel des Invalides
An institution, not a monument
This is what people forget while looking at the gilded dome: Les Invalides was conceived as a social machine. People were housed here, treated here, put to work here. The pensioners were organised into companies, with regulations, a uniform and workshops. The building is long and regular because it had to contain dormitories, refectories and an infirmary, not because it had to impress.
On 14 July 1789 the Paris crowd came here for muskets before marching on the Bastille: it was an arsenal as much as an almshouse.
What remains today
The Institution nationale des Invalides still treats and houses wounded servicemen, on the site itself. The military governor of Paris has his staff here, the French defence archives are kept here, and ceremonies are held here regularly. It is not a stage set: see the page on today's soldiers.
Book your entry
The ticket below opens the Dôme, the tomb and the four museums, for the whole day.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Louis XIV build Les Invalides?
To house and treat maimed soldiers with no means, who until then begged or were placed in abbeys.
Who was the architect?
Libéral Bruant for the hôtel, Jules Hardouin-Mansart for the Dôme.
What did the hôtel contain originally?
A hospital, an almshouse, barracks, a convent and production workshops.