A step back in history to Paris's Musée de l'Armée
By Anne Garber
If you are one of the thousands of
Americans who make the pilgrimage to points in Europe to honor those who died to
defend our freedom, your first stop should be the Musée de l'Armée in the heart
of Paris.
 Nestled into the 7th district -- pretty
much in the center of the city -- the Musée is also where Napoléon is entombed.
One look at the collections around this revered leader will inform you that the
French have never interrupted their idolatry of the little man from Corsica.
The current exhibition, in fact, the
Emperor's Personal Mementos -- mementos from the emperor Napoléon the 1st, which
will continue being offered right through January 2008.
Where: Musée de l'Armée - Dôme des
Invalides
Exhibition organized by the Musée de
l'Armée
While alteration work is underway in the
museum's east wing, some of the most iconic of the emperor's personal effects --
the famous frock coat, his hat, the Austerlitz sword and the chain of the legion
of honor -- are exhibited under the Invalides Dôme, a very symbolic place in
which the myth of Napoléon has been rooted since 1840, with the construction of
the emperor's tomb in the "crypt."
 Another aspect of the Musée de l'Armée
not to be missed is the massive reconstructions of French terrain that helped
Napoléon plan army strategies and maneuvers in the field. These are housed in an
area known as the Plan-rélief, in the upper reaches of the Musée.
Athena: modernisation program -- The
ATHENA project
The Musée de l'Armée is currently
involved in a global renovation and modernization program, named ATHENA
(2000-2009). Its goal is to better come up to the expectations of today's
public, by offering a historical educational route, clear and structured,
through modern museum rooms. ATHENA brings a chronological and uninterrupted
view of France military history. In certain precise areas, this historical
approach is completed by thematic spots; those are meant to bring out specific
collections with a great historical, technical or artistic interest (artillery,
emblems, regulation weapons, cavalry, historical figurines...).
The World War II Rooms
In Paris, in the heart of the Hôtel
National des Invalides, The Musée de l'Armée offers the public a chance to
better understand this historic period, through its rooms dedicated to World War
II, Général de Gaulle's actions, Free France and Fighting France.
I naugurated on June 18th 2000, for the
60th birthday of Général de Gaulle's radio appeal, by the President of the
Republic, these vast halls echo the historical line of visit, and illustrate the
collections on display -- uniforms, weapons, materials, authentic documents,
memories … In this way, this route offers everyone (particularly the youngest
visitors), a clear and dynamic presentation of the world conflict. America is
depicted vividly through war posters and a collection of battlefield memorabilia
unrivalled in the world.
About thirty sequences reflect the
different stages of the conflict, certain ones being treated in a specific way:
June 18th radio appeal (Gen. de Gaulle), the Russian front, the USA entering the
war, Overlord operation, Normandy landings, the Liberation of Paris, the
deportation, the Pacific war and so on.
The Musée de l'Armée is dedicated to
explaining a determining conflict in our contemporary history, to transmit to
the new generations the memory of those who committed themselves in the fights
for democracy and the defense of freedom.
The Musée de l'Armée - Dôme des
Invalides is open daily, except:
the first Monday of each month (open on
that day in the months of July, August and September); January 1; May 1;
November 1 and of course not open on December 25. Hours are October 1 to March
31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and April 1 to September 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost
of admission is 8 euros (about 12 dollars), and is discounted by 2 euros for
servicemen (or veterans), students and seniors. A modest discount is granted to
"large" families, but we were unable to determine exactly what that means, or
whether you must be a resident of France to qualify. If you are buying an SNCF
"museums pass," this is one of the qualifying venues. An excellent -- albeit
pricey -- gift shop is on site, and a large, comfortable cafeteria offers
refreshments at very modest prices. There are decent (and spotlessly clean)
toilet facilities available, too, in case you're planning to make this visit an
all-day event and really get your money's worth!
For more information, visit
www.invalides.org/pages/menu.html, where you can opt for pages in English.
Please also see my accompanying story on
Normandy Beaches.
Anne Garber is the Managing Director of
www.evalu8.org, a consumer-support website with its roots in the Pacific
Northwest that features product reviews and insights into food, travel and
entertainment. |
