The Army Museum - Hotel National des Invalides
Categories : Leisure, published on : 4/2/23
The Army Museum is located in the heart of Paris's 7th arrondissement, within the prestigious setting of the Hôtel National des Invalides, one of the greatest achievements of the reign of Louis XIV.
Ranking among the five most visited museums in Paris, it presents the history of conflicts through the lens of France's military history and houses one of the world's most important collections of military art and history.
The Hotel National des Invalides, spread across 15 hectares, houses three museums alongside the still-operational military hospital.
The Army Museum occupies the east and west wings surrounding the main courtyard, as well as a wing to the west of the Church of Saint-Louis, while the Charles de Gaulle Memorial is located in an underground structure beneath the Cour de la Valeur.
The Army Museum was created in 1905 by merging the Artillery Museum and the Army Historical Museum, both of which were already located in the Hôtel des Invalides.
Today, it houses nearly 500,000 works, covering military history from prehistory to the present day.
The Museum's collections include antique armor and weapons, artillery pieces, firearms and edged weapons, emblems, uniforms, orders and decorations, as well as historical figurines.
The Army Museum also maintains rich iconographic collections, comprising paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, as well as a collection of printed works, manuscripts, periodicals, and private archives. It also houses a collection of archaeological artifacts, as well as a collection of extra-European ethnographic objects, whose provenance extends beyond the framework of the French colonial empire and colonization.
The Invalides Dome houses, under its imposing 110-meter golden dome, the monumental tomb of Emperor Napoleon I since 1840, as well as the mausoleums of Vauban and Turenne, the tombs of Napoleon II, Joseph and Jérôme Bonaparte, Generals Bertrand and Duroc, and those of the illustrious Marshals Foch and Lyautey (for the tombs visible to the public).
The Saint-Louis des Invalides cathedral, the soldiers' church, with its vault adorned with the military trophies of France, houses the Governors' vault where many governors of the Invalides, marshals of France, and great military leaders rest.
During your stay at the Hotel Jardin Le Brea, immerse yourself in the military history of France through the centuries at the Army Museum!
How to get to the Army Museum at the Hôtel Jardin Le Bréa?
Army Museum - 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
- From the Hotel Jardin Le Bréa, take metro line 4 from Vavin station (1-minute walk), towards Porte de Clignancourt, to Montparnasse-Bienvenue station, then take metro line 13 towards Saint-Denis Université, to Varenne station.
The total journey time from our hotel is 15 minutes.
Practical Information
https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/
