Which French Baroque architect designed the Dome Church of Les Invalides in Paris?

Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed the Dome Church of Les Invalides in Paris.

Louis XIV ordered Les Invalides in 1670 as a hospital, residence, and retirement institution for veterans and disabled soldiers. The initial complex was begun by Libéral Bruant, but Jules Hardouin-Mansart took over the church project in 1676 and created its monumental domed chapel.

The Dôme des Invalides is a major achievement of French Baroque architecture. Its plan is based on a Greek cross, and its towering dome rises above a carefully organized classical façade. The dome was finally consecrated in 1706, after interruptions caused partly by wartime financial pressures. Its scale and gilded decoration helped express both royal patronage and French military power.

The name can cause confusion because François Mansart was also a distinguished French architect—and Jules was his great-nephew. Louis Le Vau and Charles Perrault were important architects of the reign of Louis XIV, but neither designed the Dome Church. The complex later became famous as Napoleon Bonaparte’s burial place beneath the dome.