Hôtel des Invalides - Louis XIV Entrance Portico

The Hôtel des Invalides was commissioned by Louis XIV. Invalides refers to wounded soldiers. Today it still functions as a hospital for soldiers, but also houses the military museum and the tomb of the great Napoleon.

The entrance portico bears a bas-relief of the Sun King riding a horse. The only thing that is above the King on the arch is the symbol he chose: the sun. The inscription in Latin reads " Louis the Great, by royal generosity for his soldiers and for ages to come, has founded this establishment in 1675".

Below Louis XIV, allegories of Wisdom and Justice (with the sword ans scale) are represented. The sculpted face above the door is Hercules. The statues of Mars to the left and Minerva to the right are guarding the entrance. Architect Libéral Bruant could not have packed in more symbols of power and war on a single façade...