I ,again, need to expand on a previous post relating to the école military of Paris It gave the opportunity to tell you a bit more on this grand institution with the history of France. In my walks of Paris I come to see many nice buildings, the école militaire has always caught my eyes. It was near my old HQ office so even visiting now takes extra time around there. You can always look up my other post with more pictures and description of it, For now ,hope you enjoy the view of the Ecole Militaire of Paris !! as I.
The realization of the Ecole Militaire is due to the architect Ange Jacques Gabriel built between 1751 and 1768 in the plain of Grenelle during the reign of Louis XV. The main entrance is on avenue de la Motte piquet, facing the Champ de Mars with the Eiffel Tower at the other end. In 1751, King Louis XIV asked Ange-Jacques Gabriel to draw the plans for a larger and more grandiose building than the Hôtel des Invalides, (see post) already built by Louis XIV. In 1878, the Superior School of War was opened, in 1911 sets up the center for advanced military studies.
The War of the Austrian Succession finally ended and France, although victorious, counted and mourned its dead. The Marshal of Saxe, on the strength of his experience in combat, encouraged King Louis XV to create a veritable royal military school intended to to train 500 young boys, poor and wealthy alike, in an imposing and richly decorated military school in which the best officers in the country will be trained… In short, a tremendous testimony to the superiority of the reign of Louis XV. Work began on September 13, 1751 with the digging of the great well. The numerous wars waged by Louis XV completely emptied the banks and the architect struggled to raise the necessary funds to continue the work. In order not to have to give up on the opening of the school, it was chosen to welcome only a limited number of students and to accommodate them in the service buildings temporarily converted into dormitories and classrooms. In 1756, the institution finally opened its doors to 200 young men. The project got bogged down and finally, in 1760, the king gave up on building the institution as he had dreamed of with Gabriel. It was then decided that it would be divided between the école militaire and the Royal College of La Flèche. On July 5, 1768, the king himself laid the first stone of the chapel in the shape of a cross and twelve years later, the work was finally completed. Throughout the duration of the project, the school has already welcomed hundreds of cadets to train them in military professions. The most famous of them answered to the famous name of Napoléon Bonaparte.
Seven years after the end of the works, the école militaire closed its doors. Abandoned, the buildings were completely looted during the French revolution of 1789. For many years, the old institution served in turn as a depot, then as a barracks and was enlarged to finally take on the appearance that we knows it today. It will be necessary to wait until the end of the 19C for the building to finally regain its primary vocation which had been torn from it: military training. Since then, the institution has continued to train officers.
The École de guerre or War School prepares the best senior officers of the French armies, friends and allies to become the military leaders of tomorrow, Webpage :https://ecoledeguerre.paris/presentation/
Access to the Strategic Research Institute of the Military School (IRSEM) located within the grounds of the école militaire, a large complex of buildings in the perspective of the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. Various ministerial and interministerial organizations are located there. Visitors are welcomed at n°1, place Joffre 7éme. The presentation of a valid identity document is mandatory. Webpage: https://www.irsem.fr/en/index.html
The official école militaire place of memory :https://ecole-militaire-lieu-de-memoire.fr/
The Paris tourist office on the école militaire: https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71338/Ecole-Militaire
There you go folks, another dandy in my eternal Paris, This is a must on heritage day or the visit to the IRSEM indeed worth it, The école Militaire is a monument to French history right in the heart of Paris, and glad to be by there on visits and business around the corner, Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 