The Hôtel des Invalides, formally known as Les Invalides, is a vast complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Its construction was initiated by King Louis XIV in 1670, with the primary purpose of providing a hospital and retirement home for aged and unwell soldiers of the French army. This initiative represented one of the first state efforts in Europe to care for military veterans, reflecting the monarch's concern for his troops and consolidating royal prestige.

The architectural design was entrusted to Libéral Bruant, and later to Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who was responsible for the iconic royal chapel, known as the Église du Dôme. Completed in 1706, the dome is a masterpiece of French classical architecture, notable for its height, gilded decoration, and its role as a model for later capitol buildings. The complex originally included residential quarters, a hospital, workshops, and a church, forming a self-contained community for its residents.

Beyond its charitable function, Les Invalides has served significant military and ceremonial roles throughout French history. It houses the Musée de l'Armée, one of the world's leading military history museums, which holds extensive collections of arms, armor, and artifacts from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. The complex also contains the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, with its historical scale models of fortified cities, and the Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération, dedicated to the French Resistance and Free French Forces of the Second World War.

The site is most renowned as the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte. His remains were repatriated from Saint Helena in 1840 and interred beneath the dome in a monumental tomb made of red quartzite, resting on a green granite base and surrounded by a circular gallery. The crypt also contains the tombs of other notable French military figures, including marshals of France and Napoleon's son, the King of Rome.

Today, Les Invalides remains an active institution under the Ministry of the Armed Forces, continuing to provide care for veterans. It stands as a powerful symbol of French military history, architecture, and national memory, attracting visitors from around the world to its museums, church, and the tomb of one of history's most consequential figures.