Paris’ Invalides is more than Napoleon’s tomb. For 350 years, it has been a home for war wounded

World-famous as the resting place of Napoleon, the gilded dome of the Invalides in Paris has drawn millions of visitors, but behind the landmark’s grand façade was a lesser-known mission: serving as a home and hospital for wounded soldiers and victims of war for more than 350 years. (AP video by Nicolas Garriga)

Auschwitz concentration camp survivor Esther Senot talks with Associated Press reporters at the National Institution of Invalides in Paris, on May 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Patients are seen in front of the entrance of the National Institution of Invalides in Paris, May 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Master corporal Mikaele Iva and nurse coordinator, Mustapha Nachet, talk at the National Institution of Invalides in Paris, on May 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Invalides governor, Gen. Christophe de Saint Chamas, is interviewed at the National Institution of Invalides in Paris, on May 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)