Musée des Plans-Reliefs, located at the House of people with disabilities - a phenomenon in the age of 3D-visualization of unusual and interesting. Here are collected three-dimensional models of forts, ports, cities, in the old days required for the planning of military campaigns.

The tradition of creating models for which the generals could provide details of future battles, was born in Europe in the XVI century. Collection of Louis XIV appeared in 1668 on the initiative of the Minister of War Lavoie. It is based on three-dimensional map of Spain recently conquered strongholds in Flanders - they were prepared under the guidance of an outstanding military engineer Sebastien Le Prêtre de Vauban. Relief maps delivered to the Louvre, made a strong impression on the king. Louis ordered the creation of the same model, the most important defensive areas of the Kingdom.

New models have been created during the War of the Austrian Succession (1741-1748 years). Initially, they were kept in the Louvre, but the art museum is here demanded more and more space, and in 1777 plans and reliefs moved to the attic Invalides. There is a museum now.

New impetus to the development of military plans volumetric gave Napoleon. Artilleryman, he knew their value. The Emperor ordered the creation of models of strategically important objects: Brest, Cherbourg, La Spezia. The Golden Age of volumetric plans ended in 1870 when France refused the construction of new fortifications.

The museum's collection includes today 260 artfully crafted layouts are real objects, 100 of them in the halls and are available for review. The museum plans 28-reliefs of the French fortifications along the English Channel, the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, the Pyrenees. At the time, these models were strictly confidential, in the age of satellites and Google Maps, they seem fine with huge toys.

Plans are made, typically on a scale of 1/600. They built their one-off led surveyors skilled craftsmen. The terrain is formed of papier-mache, the land was depicted by spraying fine sand onto the glue, the grass made of finely chopped green silk. House cut from small blocks of lime and elaborately painted. As a result, before the king and his marshals lay depicted in minute detail the theater of war. Looking at it, it was so well represent the future victory.