Monuments in Paris: The Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is a well-known Paris landmark.    

During Year 4, we have visited the monument several times.  It is majestic and very large.  Whenever we stand next to it, it is overwhelming.  We have the sense that it is sucking the air from our lungs.  

Here are some facts about the Arc de Triomphe:

• The arch was conceived in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Napoleon I.

• The arch was modeled on the ancient Arch of Titus in Rome.  The arch in Paris rises about 164 feet and is roughly 3 times larger than the one in Rome.  

• The arch was completed in 1836.  French King Louis-Philippe dedicated the arch to the armies of the Revolution and the Empire.  

• Napoleon I never saw the completed arch.  He died 15 years before it was completed.  

• Napoleon I, however, did pass through the completed arch in 1840 when his body was returned to France for reburial in Paris.  (Whether the body was actually Napoleon's is subject to debate.  Some believe he remains buried in Westminster Abbey in London.)

• In 1921, an unknown French soldier from the Great War (World War I) was buried under the arch.  The flame of remembrance is relighted every day.  

A view of the western side of the Arc de Triomphe  

One of the monumental sculptures is The Triumph of 1810 by Jean-Pierre Cortot.

Below the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is from the Great War (WWI).

Click on the video below to view the flame of remembrance.

There is also a memorial to the French soldiers and resistance fighters who died during WWII.

After we climbed the dizzying spiral staircase 164 feet to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, we were rewarded with unobstructed panoramic views of Paris.  

Looking westward toward La Défense and the Grande Arche

Another well known Paris monument, the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel)

Sacré-Cœur on top of Montmartre

Looking eastward along the Champs-Elysées toward the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries garden and the Louvre

Also, from the top of the arch, we could see the Ballon de Paris Generali in the distance.   The helium-filled balloon is an amusement ride that rises about 500 feet.   

Thanks for visiting the Arc de Triomphe with us.