The gilded dome of Hôtel des Invalides rises above a complex originally built as a home and hospital for soldiers. Its courtyards and churches preserve the site’s changing roles, from royal care for veterans to a national place of memory.
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The gilded dome catches the eye, but Hôtel des Invalides began with a practical promise: soldiers who had served the king would not be left without care. Louis XIV ordered the complex in 1670, and its first residents arrived in 1674.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- Louis XIV commissioned Hôtel des Invalides in 1670.
- The first residents arrived in 1674.
- The Institution Nationale des Invalides continues to occupy part of the complex.
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