Paris, France - Les Invalides

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Exterior of Les Invalides

In 1670, Louis XIV - the Sun King - founded Les Invalides (the name is a shortened form of hopital des invalides, the hospital for invalids) near what was then called the Grenelle Plain. An old soldiers home, it was funded by a five year levy on the salaries of soldiers currently serving in the army at that time. The first stones were laid in 1671, for what was to become a complex providing quarters for 4,000. Construction followed plans drawn up by Libéral Bruant, and was completed in 1676. The Esplandade was laid out by Robert de Cotte.

The buildings still comprise the Institution Nationale des Invalides , a national institution for disabled war veterans. The institution comprises a retirement home, a medical and surgical center, and a center for external medical consultations.

I took this photo of Les Invalides from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Catherine in front of Les Invalides

Court of Honor (Cour d'Honneur) of the Museum of the Army

The Cour d'Honneur is used as a setting for military parades as well as ceremonies for awards and decorations and for concerts.

Catherine in front of the altar of Louis XIV royal chapel of Les Invalides designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart

Charles de La Fosse's allegories under the dome over the tomb of Napoleon

It was felt that the veterans required a chapel. Jules Hardouin Mansart assisted the aged Bruant, and the chapel was finished in 1679 to Bruant's designs after the elder architect's death. The chapel is known as Eglise Saint-Louis des Invalides. Shortly after the veterans' chapel was completed, Louis XIV had Mansart construct a separate private royal chapel, often referred to as the Église du Dôme from its most striking feature. The dome was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The interior of the dome was painted by Le Brun's disciple Charles de La Fosse (1636 - 1716).

Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

The most significant event in the history of Les Invalides is the return of the body of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1840. After seven years of negotiation with the British government, Louis-Philippe, King of France, obtained permission to repatriate the Emperor's remains from St. Helena. On 8 October 1840 - 19 years after the death of the Emperor - the coffin was exhumed and opened for two minutes before transport to France aboard the frigate La Belle Poule. Those present claim that the body remained in a state of perfect preservation.

After arriving at Le Havre, it was brought up the Seine and landed at Paris at Courbevoie. On 15 December 1840 a state funeral was held, and despite a winter snowstorm, the hearse proceeded from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs-Elysées, across the Place de la Concorde to the Esplanade and finally to the cupola in St Jerome's Chapel until the tomb - designed by Visconti - was completed. On 3 April 1861 Napoléon I came to his final rest in the crypt under de dome.

Les Invalides is also the burial site for some of Napoleon's family, for several military officers who served under him, and other French military heroes such as:

•Joseph BonaparteJoseph Bonaparte ( January 7, 1768— July 28, 1844) was the eldest brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I, who made him King of Naples ( 1806 1808) and Spain ( 1808 1813). Bonaparte was born Giuseppe Bonaparte at Corte in Corsica.
•Jerome Bonaparte (1785 - 1851) -- Napoleon's youngest brother

•Napoleon II of France (1812 - 1833) -- son of Napoleon

•Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760 - 1836) Army captain, he is the author of France's national anthem, La Marseillaise

•Ferdinand Foch (1851 - 1929) - French Marshall during the First World War

•Antoine Marie-Roger de Saint-Exupery (1900 - 1944) - author of The Little Prince

•Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne (1611- 1675), better known as the Viscount de Turenne, he was Marshal of France under King Louis XIV and is one of France's greatest military leaders

•The heart of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban - the designer of Louis XIV's military fortifications

Paris, France - Part Trois

Paris, c'est magnifique!

 

 View of the Eiffel Tower from Montmartre. 

One of my favorite areas of Paris is Montmartre because it is the highest point in Paris and provides wonderful of Paris.

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Basilique Sacré-Coeur

The Basilique Sacré-Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is a Roman Catholic church.  This Byzantine looking church looks ancient, but is only 130 years old.  The church was build by Parisians as a guilt offering after their defeat by the Germans in 1870.  The church was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which enables Him to understand human needs and feelings.  Inside is a small plaque that shows where the 13 WWII bombs that hit Paris fell near the church, but didn't hurt anyone. 

Exterior of the Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill)

Catherine and I began our walk to the Montmartre are in the Pigalle area of Paris where the nightclub Moulin Rouge is located.  The Moulin Rouge is also the subject of paintings by impressionist painter Toulouse-Lautrec.

Catherine on the steps of the Basilica Sacré-Coeur

A popular activity for Parisians is to sit on the steps and surrounding grassy areas of the Basilica Sacré-Coeur to watch the sun go down over Paris.

View of Paris from Montmartre

View of the Montmartre area and the Basilica Sacré-Coeur that I took from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

That is me in the Place du Tertre

The bohemian area of Montmartre is called the Place du Tertre.  This area begins just to the left of the entrance to the Basilica Sacré-Coeur.  This is an area filled with restaurants and artists offering their artwork for sale.  Catherine and I had a nice dinner here outside in an umbrella covered area.  This is an area where Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir and other great artists lived and worked at times during their careers.

Moulin de la Galette

Catherine in front of the Moulin de la Galette, one of only two windmills (moulins) that remain on the hill that originally had 30 of them.  Originally they were used to crush grapes and stones.  This windmill was turned into a popular outdoor dance hall and Renoir painted "Bal du Moulin de la Galette" using this windmill and dance hall as the setting.

Van Gogh's house

Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo lived here from 1886 to 1888.  It was here that he changed his painting style from the brown and gray potato eaters style of paintings to the colorful Impressionist paintings.

Plague on the Van Gough house

View of the Moulin Rouge at night

Catherine and I ended our walk back in the Pigalle area of Paris.

Paris, France - Part Deux

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 Catherine in front of the Notre Dame de Paris.

While Catherine and I were in Paris we attended service at Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) on Sunday.  Notre Dame is a Gothic, Roman Catholic Cathedral. Notre Dame is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world. Construction began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. The cathedral was effectively complete by around 1345. The cathedral suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution in the 1790s, when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. During the 19th century, an extensive restoration project was completed, returning the cathedral to its previous state.  The Notre Dame de Paris stands on the site of Paris' first Christian church, Saint Etienne basilica, which was itself built on the site of a Roman temple to Jupiter.

Notre Dame de Paris - North Rose Window

The north rose window dates from 1250. Its main theme is the Old Testament, but the central medallion depicts the Virgin and Child.A Rose window (or Catherine window) is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style.

Interior of Notre Dame.

Some streets in Paris are closed on Sundays for cyclists and pedestrians.These operations are called "Paris respire" (Paris breathes).  When we were in front of Notre Dame, the streets were closed and hundreds of cyclists rode by.

Street scene in Paris near the Notre Dame.

View of the river Seine near the Notre Dame

Catherine at the Place de la Concorde.  You can see Hittorf's fountain (1838) behind her.

The Place de la Concorde is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. In the past, when it was named the "Place de Grève", it was a site where the nobility were entertained watching convicted criminals being dismembered alive. During the French Revolution the statue of Louis XV was torn down and the area renamed "Place de la Révolution". The new revolutionary government erected the guillotine there. King Louis XVI was executed here on January 21, 1793 and Queen Marie Antoinette on October 16, 1793. The guillotine was most active during the "Reign of Terror", in the summer of 1794, when in a single month more than 1,400 people were executed. A year later, when the revolution was taking a more moderate course, the guillotine was removed from the square and its name was changed in token of national reconciliation.

Colonne de Juillet

The July Column (French: Colonne de Juillet) is a monument to the Revolution of 1830. It stands in the center of the Place de la Bastille, in Paris, to commemorate the Trois Glorieuses, the "three glorious" days in July 1830 that saw the fall of Charles X of France and the commencement of the "July Monarchy" of Louis-Philippe. On the column stands a gilded figure, Auguste Dumont's Génie de la Liberté (the "Spirit of Freedom"). Perched on one foot in the manner of Giambologna's Mercury, the star-crowned figure holds the torch of civilisation and the remains of his broken chains. Formerly the figure also appeared on French ten-franc coins. The column is also engraved in gold with the names of Parisians who died during the revolution.

The exterior of the restaurant Maxim's

No we didn't eat there, but we drove by on the way to the Notre Dame.  It is located on the rue Royale and is known for its art nouveau interior decor.  Chefs that worked at Maxim's included a young Wolfgang Puck.  Maxim's was founded as a bistro in 1893 by Maxime Gaillard a former a waiter. Today, the restaurant and the Maxim's brand belong to Pierre Cardin.  Maxim's was also featured in one of my favorite movies, Gigi featuring French actors Maurice Chevalier and Leslie Caron.

Paris, France!!!

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Catherine et John devant laTour Eiffel.

When Catherine and I left London we flew to Paris.

Cercle National des Armees

While Catherine and I were in Paris we stayed at the French Military Officers Club "Cercle National des Armees"  The club is on place St. Augustin, one block from Gare St. Lazare, two from Galenes Lafayette and three from the Opera and American Express office.  The club is in the VIII arrondissement of Paris.  Situated on the right bank of the River Seine and centred on the Opéra, the 8th is, together with the 2nd and 9th arrondissements, one of Paris's main business districts. According to the 1999 census, it was the place of employment of more people than any other single arrondissement of the capital. It is also the location of many places of interest, among them the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde, as well as the Élysée Palace, official residence of the President of France.

Lobby of the Cercle National des Armees

Our room at the Cercle National des Armees

 The Saint Augustine church

The Saint Augustine church is across the street from where we stayed.  You can see our hotel on the right of this picture and the Saint Augustine church on the left.  The current Saint Augustine church was built by Victor Baltard in 1868.  Saint-Augustin's facade features the four evangelists above arcades, and above them the twelve apostles and rosette window. Its stained glass windows depict bishops and martyrs of the first centuries, and cast-iron columns within feature polychrome angels. The church's organ was built by Charles Spackman Barker. One of the earliest organs to employ electricity.

A statue of Joan of Arc, by Paul Dubois, was erected before the church in 1896.

 

The Paris Metro was just a few steps from our hotel.  This station is named "Saint Augustin" and serves Line 9 of the Paris Metro.

 Street scene of Paris.

The river Seine

Another view of the river Seine