Paris, Arc de Triomphe
When visiting Paris …
The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly the Place de l’Étoile, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. It is the linchpin of the historic axis (L’Axe historique) leading from the courtyard of the Louvre Palace, a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route leading out of Paris. The monument’s iconographic program pitted heroically French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in chain mail and set the tone for public monuments with triumphant nationalistic messages until World War I.
The monument stands over 51 meters (165 feet) in height and is 45 meters wide. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence [1] Its design was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus; The Arc de Triomphe is so colossal that an early daredevil flew his plane through it.
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon I at the peak of his fortunes. Laying the foundations alone took two years, and in 1810 when Napoleon entered Paris from the west with his bride Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, he had a wooden mock-up of the completed arch constructed. Jean Chalgrin died in 1811, and the work was taken over by Huyon. During the Restoration construction was halted, and would not be completed until the reign of King Louis-Philippe, in 1833-36.
Coordinates: 48.873611° 2.295°
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