Musée de l’Armée

The Army Museum was created in 1905 when the Artillery Museum merged with the Army History Museum. The Army History Museum was founded in 1896 by a company called La Sabretache. Its Chairman, the painter Edouard Detaille, wanted to use his own collections to put together a national military museum.

It contains some of the world’s most prestigious collections, including old weapons and armour (the 3rd biggest in the world), small artillery models (unique in the world) and a unique set of 19th-century items relating to Napoleon I and the marshals of the Empire in particular.

The Army Museum is one of the biggest museums of military art and history in the world. Its location within a military monument like the Hôtel National des Invalides gives it exceptional character. There are few military museums that offer such a large collection of works and cover such a wide range of historical eras.

It consists of a set of spaces which are divided into architectural monuments and themed or chronological departments. The museum is made up of a total of 7 main spaces:

The Main Courtyard and artillery collections.
The old department, old armour and weapons from the 13th – 17th century.
The modern department, from Louis XIV to Napoleon III, 1643 – 1870.
The Dôme des Invalides, tomb of Napoleon I.
The contemporary department, the two World Wars 1871 – 1945.
The Charles de Gaulle Monument.
The Cathedral of Saint-Louis des Invalides.