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Then it was felt that the veterans required a chapel, in which Jules Hardouin Mansart assisted the aged Bruant, and finished it in 1679 to Bruant's designs after the elder architect's death. Compulsory daily attendance was required. Shortly after it was completed, Louis XIV had Mansart construct a separate private royal chapel, the Dome des Invalides. It is one of the triumphs of French Baroque archiecture, centrally placed to dominate the court of honor. It was finished in 1708.
The most notable tomb at Les Invalides is that of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) in the crypt under Mansart's dome. Napoleon was initially interred on Saint Helena, but King Louis-Philippe arranged for his remains to be brought to St Jerome's Chapel in Paris in 1840. A renovation of Les Invalides took many years, but in 1861 Napoleon was moved to the most prominent location under the dome at Les Invalides. A popular tourist site today, Les Invalides is also the burial site for some of Napoleon's family, for several military officers who served under him, and other French military heroes such as:
| Portal to Court of Honor, Liberal Bruant architect | Dome of Les Invalides, Jules Hardouin-Mansart architect |
|---|---|
| Door to Napoleon's Tomb | Tomb of Napoleon |
See also: List of other famous cemeteries