Step into one of Paris's most influential monuments and delve into the extraordinary legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Hôtel des Invalides, a structure commissioned by Louis XIV in 1670 for war veterans, houses the Army Museum and the magnificent Dôme Church.
Your certified guide brings to life the dedicated Napoleon galleries, highlighting his early Corsican origins and the influential Napoleonic Code that continues to shape contemporary European law. You'll have the opportunity to examine rare personal items, including Napoleon's distinctive two-cornered hat and his field telescope utilised during the European campaigns.
Next, venture beneath the towering 107-meter-tall gilded dome into the Dôme Church. Your guide will explain the intricate logistics of 'Le Retour des Cendres'—the 1840 mission that returned his remains from the distant island of Saint Helena, nearly two decades after his demise. You'll gaze upon the enormous red quartzite sarcophagus, which rests on a green granite base, encircled by twelve monumental marble victory statues.
With a strict limit of just eight guests, this tour progresses at your speed. Welcome to an intimate, historically accurate exploration focused on the details often overlooked in guidebooks.
