Hotel des Invalides Paris

The Hôtel des Invalides used to be a military hospital that was located in the heart of France. It was originally built in the late 1600's and kept the wounded soldiers from the many French wars that have now passed. In fact, there are still some soldiers who stay there that were originally housed during World War I & II. The gold-plated dome that extends far above the hospital is owned by the Church of Saint-Louis and was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The military museum is also a very noteworthy location that tourists absolutely adore and is located right next to the Hotel. There are many old cannons inside the courtyard that were cast with various sculptures alongside their molding. At the back of the inner courtyard is an especially romantic sculpture in the side of a cannon that depicts a man and a woman as they hold one another in a passionate embrace. The figures are carved out of the cannons handles and are absolutely sublime. The wide range of buildings in this area were all completed in only five years so there is a lot of rich culture to be seen near this most famous Hôtel des Invalides.