Hi readers and welcome back to the educational travel blog for EA Tours!
For those reading in the U.S., I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a good start to the holiday season.
A few weeks back I featured a brief post on the Armory museum housed in the L’Hôtel Des Invalides in Paris, France. You can find the article here.
For today’s post I’d like to go into greater detail about why this museum is worth a visit.
What makes this museum unique is that it’s both a museum and a monument. Offering visitors a one-of-a-kind educational experience, students and teachers can plan their visit to view what interests them. Housing an exceptional body of artwork and objects relating to French military history from the Middle Ages to the 20th century there’s truly something for everyone! From ancient suits of armor, uniforms, and weapons, to photographs, paintings, and musical instruments the Armory Museum is the perfect place to learn about French history.
The museum itself is located within a complex series of buildings known as L’Hôtel Des Invalides that were used for military purposes. Therefore, the layout invites visitors to discover and wander the courtyards and galleries as they make their way through the museum. They will eventually lead you to the Dome Chapel which houses, among other graves of notable people, the elaborate tomb of Napoleon I. Up until the 17th century, there was no place to provide services for disabled soldiers. So in 1670, Louis XIV founded these buildings to lodge the veterans from his wars. At the end of the century, up to 4,000 residents were housed there.
On student tours to Paris, the participants will see that the building is a national landmark offering a wealth of information for curious minds. Take some time to admire the 60 French classical bronze cannons in the main courtyard which are the crowning jewels of the artillery collection. The sheer number of ancient armor and arms makes the museum one of the three largest arms museums in the world! The detail that went into each and every piece of this ancient collection is pretty remarkable. Ranging from the 13th to the 17th century, the arms and armor and presented chronologically allowing visitors to see the advancement of weaponry.
Continuing, students will discover the military, political, social, and industrial history of France through privates’ uniforms, luxury guns, horse harnessing, emblems, paintings of various events, and even personal effects from figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and his marshals. There’s also an extensive collection of artefacts from both World Wars.
So next time you’re visiting the “City of Light” on your educational tour be sure to stop off at the Musée De L’Armée to relive some of France’s most historic moments. You don’t have to be a lover of history to appreciate what can be found here.
Until next time,
Kate.