Archive for 2017-06-04

The royal chapel of the Invalides complex is the location of the tomb of one of France's favorite native sons.

The Invalides Complex

The complex of buildings known as Les Invalides sits in Paris's 7th arrondissement and consists of museums and monuments related to the military history of France. The most recognizable and well-known part of Les Invalides is the Dôme des Invalides,

Dôme des Invalides

a gold-domed building now used as a burial site for a number of the country's war heroes.

https://www.tiqets.com/en/paris-c66746/muse-de-larme-les-invalides-priority-entrance-p974519?partner=dnevniksaputovanja+

Its History

Proposed by Louis XIV in 1670 as a home for "invalids" - disabled and impoverished war veterans, Les Invalides was designed by Libéral Bruant and completed in 1676.

That same year King Louis XIV - the Sun King - charged architect Jules Hardouin Mansart with the task of creating a separate private chapel at the Invalides for exclusive use of the royal family. It is this gold-domed church, completed in 1708 by de Cotte after Mansart died, that many

The painted dome

individuals recognize. Inspired by Rome's St. Peter's Basilica, this chapel, known as Église du Dôme, is considered one of the world's most exciting examples of French Baroque architecture.

The dome itself is 107 meters high (351 ft), making it one of the tallest monuments in Paris, and was centrally placed in order to dominate the court of honor - one of fifteen courtyards at the complex, designed for military parades. The inside of the dome was painted by Charles de La Fosse, disciple of eighteenth century well-known French painter, Charles Le Brun.

Napoleon's Tomb

Napoleon's Tomb

Napoleon Bonaparte, whose last wish was to be buried at the banks of the Seine River, died on the island of St. Helena and was buried there until King Louis-Philippe decided to have his body exhumed and returned to Paris in 1840. He chose to have him entombed at Les Invalides.

https://www.tiqets.com/en/paris-c66746/muse-de-larme-les-invalides-priority-entrance-p974519?partner=dnevniksaputovanja+

In order to accommodate the tomb, architect Louis Visconti had to redesign the high altar of the domed church. Upon completion in 1861, the remains of Napoleon's body were then placed in six coffins inside a tomb, which was fashioned from red Finnish porphyry with a green granite base, and placed inside the crypt.

A dozen large figures are arranged around the tomb, intended to

Vauban Memorial

represent Napoleon's victories. An accompanying statue of the French leader himself, dressed in coronation robes, stands nearby and measures more than 8 feet high (2.4 m), in stark contrast to the emperor's diminutive size.

Also buried at Invalides are several members of Napoleon's family as well as a number of prominent French military leaders and war heroes.

The memorial of Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban, marshal of King Louis XIV's army, was installed here in 1808 at Napoleon's request. The monument contains an urn with the ashes of Vauban. Another large monument in the Dôme des Invalides is the bronze tomb of marshal Ferdinand Foch, commander of the allied armies at the end of the first World War.

Sacré-Coeur,Montmartre

The Sacré-Coeur Basilica is one of Paris's major tourist draws. The majestic building is located on top of the Montmartre hill.
Above all, Montmartre, an area on a hill in the 18th arrondissement, north of downtown Paris, is known for its many artists who have been omnipresent since 1880. The name Montmartre is said to be derived from either Mount of Martyrs or from Mount of Mars. Until 1873, when the Sacré-Coeur was built on top of the hill, Montmartre was a small village, inhabited by a mostly farming community.

The Basilica Project

The project to build the Sacré-Coeur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) was initiated by a group of influential people. Their reasons to build this monument was two-fold:

King Louis IX

they had pledged to build a church if Paris escaped unscathed from the war with the Prussians and they saw the defeat of the French at the hands of the Prussian army in 1870 as a moral condemnation of the sins of Paris.

The project was authorized by the National Assembly in 1873, and a competition was organized. The goal was to build an imposing basilica true to Christian traditions.

The Building

The winner of the competition was Paul Abadie, who had already restored two cathedrals in France. He designed an immense basilica in a Roman-Byzantyne style. This architectural style stands in sharp contrast with other contemporary buildings in France,which were mostly built in a Romanesque style.

View from the Basilica to Paris.

Construction of the Basilica started in 1876 with Abadie as the lead architect. When Paul Abadie died in 1884, he was succeeded by Lucien Magne, who added an 83 meter (272 ft) tall clock tower. The Savoyarde clock installed here is one of the world's largest.

Due to its location on the Montmartre hill, the basilica towers over the city; its highest point is even higher than the top of the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to this prominent location the Sacré-Coeur Basilica is one of the most noticeable landmarks in Paris.

White Stones
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica has managed to keep its beaming white color even in the polluted air of a big city like Paris. This can be attributed to the Château-Landon stones which were used for the construction of the Sacré-Coeur. When it rains, the stones react to the water and secrete calcite, which acts like a bleacher.

Follow

Pages

Support donation