The complex known as the Hôtel des Invalides was founded in 1671 by Louis XIV, the Sun King. He wanted to provide accommodation for disabled and impoverished war veterans.Originally only a number of barracks were planned, but King Louis XIV chose a design by architect Liberal Bruant which consisted of a large, impressive building with a royal courtyard and church.The front facade facing the Seine river is 196 meters long (643 ft.). The whole complex features no less than fifteen courtyards, the largest being the Cour d’Honneur (court of honor). This courtyard was used for military parades.The building was completed in 1676 and housed up to 4,000 war veterans. A wide, 500-meter-long (1640 ft.) esplanade designed by Robert de Cotte separates the Hôtel des Invalides from the late nineteenth-century Alexandre III Bridge and the Seine River.