What is inside Napoleon's tomb?

A set of nested coffins, like Russian dolls. The red quartzite sarcophagus you see from the rail is only the outer shell. Inside, the body is enclosed in several successive coffins: they are usually counted as six, some counts give only five, depending on whether the outer oak case is included.

Visible shellRed quartzite from Karelia

BaseGreen granite from the Vosges

Nested coffinsSix, sometimes counted as five

First, next to the bodyTinplate

ThenMahogany, two of lead

FinallyEbony, then oak

The count, in order

Working outwards from the body: a first coffin of tinplate, a second of mahogany, two lead coffins soldered one inside the other, a fifth of ebony, and a sixth of oak. The whole assembly was placed inside Visconti's sarcophagus in 1861. It is that outer oak case some sources leave out, which is where the five-or-six discrepancy you find everywhere comes from.

The lead is not decorative: it made the journey from Saint Helena possible and the whole thing watertight. When the coffin was opened on the island in October 1840, nineteen years after the death, witnesses described a body remarkably well preserved — which fed decades of speculation.

The twelve Victories

Around the sarcophagus, in the crypt, twelve white marble figures carved by James Pradier keep watch: they represent the major campaigns. On the floor a mosaic laurel wreath carries the names of the victories. You only see them properly by going down: from the rail above they have their backs to you. The route is described on the tomb page.

Local tip

This is the detail to tell children before you go in. Looking at a block of red stone says nothing; knowing there are six boxes inside one another underneath completely changes how they lean over the rail.

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Frequently asked questions

How many coffins exactly?

Six counting the outer oak case, five without it. That is the source of the confusion you find everywhere.

Is the body really inside?

Yes, since the return of the ashes in 1840 and the definitive installation in 1861.

Is the sarcophagus porphyry?

No, it is red quartzite from Karelia, commonly miscalled porphyry.