Arc de Triomphe

Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France   Ph. : 33 / (0)1 55 37 73 77

This photo of Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l’Étoile — the étoile or “star” of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues.

The Arc de Triomphe should not be confused with a smaller arch, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which stands west of the Louvre. The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

As the central cohesive element of the Axe historique (historic axis, a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route running from the courtyard of the Louvre to the Grande Arche de la Défense), the Arc de Triomphe was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806, and its iconographic program pits heroically nude French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in chain mail. It set the tone for public monuments with triumphant patriotic messages.

Inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy, the Arc de Triomphe has an overall height of 50 metres (164 ft), width of 45 m (148 ft), and depth of 22 m (72 ft), while its large vault is 29.19 m (95.8 ft) high and 14.62 m (48.0 ft) wide. The smaller transverse vaults are 18.68 m (61.3 ft) high and 8.44 m (27.7 ft) wide. Three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919 (marking the end of hostilities in World War I), Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane under the arch’s primary vault, with the event captured on newsreel.

Paris’s Arc de Triomphe was the tallest triumphal arch until the completion of the Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City in 1938, which is 67 metres (220 ft) high. The Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, completed in 1982, is modelled on the Arc de Triomphe and is slightly taller at 60 m (197 ft). La Grande Arche in La Defense near Paris is 110 metres high. Although it is not named an Arc de Triomphe, it has been designed on the same model and in the perspective of the Arc de Triomphe. It qualifies as the world’s tallest arch.

Source : Wikipedia    

Looking to explore Paris attractions? Arc de Triomphe l’Etoile, which is located at the western end of the famous Champs-Elysees, is one of the top attractions of the city. The Arc de Triumph is the linchpin of the historical axis, which extends from the Louvre to the Arc. Don’t be confused with the smaller version – Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Amongst the many things to do in Paris, you can always find the Arc in one of the top places. Here’s are few facts you should know about it before your visit…

GET TO KNOW THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE IN PARIS

The name “Arc de Triomphe l’Etoile” is derived from the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars and is an honor to those that fought and perished. This Paris attraction is 50 meter or 164 feet in height, 45 meters or 148 feet wide and 22 meters, 72 feet deep. The arc was at the time of construction, the largest of its kind in the world until the creation of the Arc of Triomphe in PyongYang in 1982. Many famous victory marches have taken place under the Arc, including the Germans in 1871, the French in 1919, the Germans again in 1940 and the French with allies in 1945, the end of World War II. Underneath the Arc lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is a tribute to the fallen who are to this day unidentified from both world wars.

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