Musée De La Légion D'honneur
History
The museum is housed within the Hôtel de Salm, built in 1782 by architect Pierre Rousseau for Frederick III, Prince of Salm-Kyrburg. The building burned in 1871 during the Paris Commune, and it subsequently was restored by a subscription of medallists. Since 1804, this building has been called the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, and it is the seat of France's highest honours: the Légion d'honneur (1802), the Médaille militaire (1852), and the Ordre national du Mérite (1963).
Today's museum was created in 1925. It displays a history of France's honours, medals, decorations, and chivalric orders from the time of King Louis XI to the present, including Napoleonic souvenirs and more than 300 portraits. A special section is dedicated to foreign orders. Its library and archives contain more than 3,000 works.
See also
References
- Paris, Petit Futé, 2007, page 144. ISBN 2-7469-1701-7.