Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb
Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Paris. Give it roughly ~120 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- Paris Paris guide
About Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb
Louis XIV's grand veterans' hospital topped by a golden dome, sheltering the spectacular tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte beneath six nested coffins of red quartzite.
Les Invalides is one of the grandest complexes in Paris, built by Louis XIV from 1670 to 1708 as a hospital and home for France's wounded and disabled soldiers. At its height, some 6,000 veterans lived here. The complex features the Dôme des Invalides, one of the finest Baroque domes in Europe, designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1706, its gilded dome visible across the Paris skyline.
Beneath the dome lies the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, brought back from the island of Saint Helena in 1840, nineteen years after his death, in the "Return of the Ashes" ceremony. The tomb is a spectacular affair: Napoleon lies in a sarcophagus of deep red quartzite from Finland, surrounded by six nested coffins, tin, lead, lead, mahogany, ebony, and oak. Around him stand twelve colossal statues representing his military victories. The Musée de l'Armée, one of the world's great military history museums, occupies most of the complex.
Did you know? Napoleon's sarcophagus contains six nested coffins, tin, lead (twice), mahogany, ebony, and oak, to ensure his remains would never be disturbed.
How long is a visit to Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb?
Set aside roughly ~120 min for Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb worth your time?
Les Invalides & Napoléon's Tomb is among the 44 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Paris, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Paris
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