Arc de Triomphe
Address
Arc de Triomphe
GPS
48.8737791, 2.2950372260377
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, located in the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, on the western end of the Champs-Élysées, formerly called Place de l’Étoile — the star-shaped juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues.
Quick facts
- Name: Arc de Triomphe
- Location: Paris, France
- Built 1836
- Type of attraction: Architectural/Monument
- Ticket price: From $20
The triumphal arch commemorates France’s war dead (and in particular, those who fought during the Napoleonic wars). Every general and war fought is commemorated on the arch’s interior and affixed to its top. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, where the Memorial Flame burns, is engraved in the ground beneath the vault of the Arc de Triomphe Paris, making it a treasured patriotic place.
The monument serves as the fulcrum of the historic axis (L’Axe Historique), which connects the courtyard of the Louvre Palace to the suburbs of Paris via a series of monuments and magnificent thoroughfares.
These artists are known for their use of groupings, friezes, figures, and beys-relief in their work. However, Francois Rude’s La Marseillaise is unquestionably the most well-known sculpture in the park.
At 49.5 meters (162 feet), 45 meters (150 feet), and 22 meters (72 feet) broad, the Arc de Triomphe is the tallest structure in Paris. At 29.19 meters in height and 14.62 meters wide, the vault is the world’s tallest and widest underground storage facility. One vault is 18.68 meters (61.3 feet) high while the other is 8.44 meters (27.7 feet) in width.
Journalist and poet Gabriel Boissy proposed the idea of a Memorial Flame two years after the exhumation of the Unknown Soldier, and the proposal was promptly embraced by the general public. The project moved forward quickly because of the active involvement of Andre Maginot (then Minister of War), Leon Berard (Minister of State Education), and Paul Leon (Director of Fine Arts).
The architect Henri Favier chose a wrought iron craftsman named Edgar Brandt to build the torch, which included a circular bronze shield with an opening for a cannon muzzle and a sword frieze above it. On November 11th, 1923, in front of a large crowd of veterans, Maginot lit the first match. Ever since then, the flame has never gone out.
The Great Dead are honored on a daily basis with a ritual: at 6:30 p.m., a flame is rekindled by one of the nine hundred groups of former soldiers now united under the umbrella of La Flamme sur l’arc de triomphe. This daily lighting ritual continued unabated under the occupation.
General Charles de Gaulle visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on August 26th, 1844, at 3 p.m., before making his triumphant descent on the Champs-Elysees in liberated Paris.
As a result, the Arc de Triomphe has served as the focal point for a number of major national holidays, such as the 11th of November, the 8th of May, and the 14th of July.
Interesting facts about Arc de Triomphe
Here are some interesting facts about this famous landmark:
- Arc de Triomphe design was mainly influenced by the Titus Arch in Rome, a triumphant marble arch.
- A wooden replica of the arch was initially constructed for Napoleon and his bride, Marie Louise to enter Paris in 1810.
- Under the arch is the Unknown Soldier’s Tomb, in which an eternal flame burns in memory of the dead who have never been identified in both world wars. It was put on 11 November 1920.
