Museums in Paris: Musée de la Legion d'Honneur

You have probably heard of the Légion d'honneur ("Legion of Honor"), France's highest order of merit, given for significant deeds and accomplishments.   

Well, it turns out that France has an entire museum dedicated to the Legion of Honor.  The museum is located next to Musée d'Orsay in the former Hôtel de Salm, the palace of a French nobleman.  Nationalized during the Revolution, the building was dedicated in 1804 as the home of the Legion of Honor following its creation by Napoleon in 1802.  France's earlier orders of chivalry were abolished during the Revolution.  

Musée de la Legion d'Honneur

Tbe side facade of the Musée de la Legion d'Honneur

Main entrance to the museum

The grand entrance to the courtyard of the museum

The majestic inner courtyard of the museum

The inner courtyard of the museum, with a colonnade and rose garden

Napoleon, as founder of the Legion of Honor, is featured in the museum's large collection of artifacts and artwork.  

 

One of the most interesting displays was a golden collar of the Legion of Honor in a glass case in front of a large portrait of Emperor Napoleon.  The placement was no mistake.  We could easily look through the collar which framed Napoleon behind. 

 The large portrait of Napoleon as Emperor has some notable features.  The most important is the Legion of Honor collar and medal.

Marie-Chantal noticed two other features of Napoleon's costume.  His cape was covered with bees.  Bees were a symbol of the Merovingian dynasty and therefore an ancient symbol of the sovereigns of France.  Napoleon adopted the symbol to legitimize his reign.

Of course, since Marie-Chantal is a shoe fiend, she loved the shoes in the portrait.  Aren't they fabulous?

Here are some more portraits of Napoleon.  

(1826)

The museum included many artifacts associated with earlier orders of merit, including large jewel-encrusted medals, plus capes, swords and scepters.  

You can see the cape that is pictured above on the figure in the painting below.

 

The museum also displayed many other artifacts, such as a pair of pistols from Emperor Napoleon given to Tsar Alexander I.

The museum had a large collection of artifacts representing other orders of merits, including foreign awards.  

 

We spotted a medal for the Order of the Golden Fleece.  (Brooks Brothers called and want their logo back.)

  

 

Another French order of merit featured in the museum was the Cross of the Liberation awarded in connection with the liberation of France during World War II.  We especially liked a colorful painting depicting the ceremony for awarding the Cross of Liberation to the city of Paris.   

Another painting also caught our eye.  It depicts the fires set during the Paris Commune in 1871 that burned both the Legion of Honor museum and part of the Louvre.  The Legion of Honor museum was destroyed but rebuilt.  The Louvre was partly destroyed, primarily the Tuileries Palace, which was not rebuilt.  

Detail:  The Louvre on fire

We think the Musée de la Legion d'Honneur is a hidden gem and recommend visiting it, especially because admission is free.

Thanks for visiting the museum with us.