L'Arc de
Triomphe
Metro : Charles de Gaulle-Etoile
Pure tribute to Napoleon, his personal glory and to
the glory of his Grand Army, the Arc de Triomphe is a military monument
upon whose sides are engraved the names of the generals and victorious
battles that illuminated the First Empire. At its base burns the flame
of the Unknown Soldier in recognition of the unidentified dead from
both World Wars, a flame that is regularly revived during commemoration
services, particularly those concerning the two World Wars of the 20th
century. The location of the Arc de Triomphe is unique to Paris,
situated on a park which dominates the west of Paris, twelve streets
emanate radially from its foot, the most famous being the
Champs-Elysées. True gate of Paris, it was symbolically crossed
by the Prussians in 1871, again by Marshal Foch following the victory
of 1919, and painfully claimed by Nazi troops during the occupation.
Viewed from above it is clear to see how the place the Arc sits on gets
its name, the Place d’Etoile (Star Place). Another interesting
perspective can be found from the Louvre, where you can see the
alignment on a single axis of the Louvre itself, the Arc du Carrousel,
the Arc de Triomphe and the Grande Arche of La Défense. Taking
either the stairs or the interior elevator one is recommended to ascend
to the upper terrace of the Arc to experience a view of Paris near
unsurpassed in its panorama. An interesting piece of trivia is that
Napoleon originally planned a statue of a giant elephant in this spot
to symbolize his power and the strength of France. Thankfully that
project was forgotten and the construction of the Arc commenced in
1806. Despite being interrupted by the Emperor’s downfall in 1814 the
Arc was finally completed in 1836. Of all the statues on the Arc note
in particular that of François Rude, titled the Marseillaise.
PARIS
MYSTERIOUS
Trocadero
and Palais de Chaillot history
Arc-de-Triomphe
Les Champs-Elysées
La Place de la Concorde
L'Opéra Garnier
Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Pigalle
Musée d'Orsay
Musée du Louvre
Montmartre
Les Invalides
Ile St-Louis
Bastille
Musée
Marmottan
