Invalides, Hôtel des

   The Hôtel des Invalides is a monumental complex situated in Paris that was conceived by King louis XIV (1670) as a residence for soldiers who had been wounded in his service. Between 1670 and 1676, a quadrilateral 450 meters long by 390 meters wide was built, with six main courtyards, including the Court of Honor with two levels of arcades, and a façade flanked by two pavilions. The entrance to the complex is a central portal dominated by an imposing bas-relief of Louis XIV on horseback. stately and grand, the Invalides was built by jules hardouin-mansard, who is especially known for the gilded dome (1679 to 1706) of the adjoining Church of saint-Louis that dominates the vast esplanade that extends to the seine. under the cupola have been placed the remains of napoléon i, alongside, those of his son, napoléon ii. The Hôtel des Invalides, which also contains the tombs of several other great military figures, opens onto the Army Museum.