Prestigious objects which bear witness to the King's power.Located in the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, close to the Pont Alexandre III and to Ecole militaire, the Museum of Relief Maps presents 28 historical models which illustrate two centuries of military history, from 1668 to the late 19th century.The idea to create model villages - small-scale mock ups of city-forts for strategic purposes - is said to have come from Louvois, one of Louis XIV's ministers. The King's engineers thus created models of French cities situated on the kingdom's borders and of foreign cities that had been claimed from the enemy.Aside from their miltary interest, they were objects of prestige that testified to the power of the monarchy and the kingdom and served as commemorative works that illustrated the great battles. Since 1943, this collection which is unique in the world has been housed in its current premesis. Some of the models have been placed in the Fine Arts Museum in Lille.