Arc de Triomphe
The best day to visit the world’s most familiar triumphal arch is 2 December, the date that marks Napoleon’s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, when the sun sets in line with the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe, creating a spectacular halo around the building. Work began on the 50-m (164-ft) arch in 1806 but was not completed until 1836, due, in part, to Napoleon’s fall from power. Four years later, Napoleon’s funeral procession passed beneath it, on its way to his burial in Les Invalides. Today the arch is a focal point for numerous public events.
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The Great AxisThe Arc de Triomphe is at the centre of three arches and together they create a grand vision of which even Napoleon would have been proud. The emperor was responsible for the first two, placing the Arc de Triomphe directly in line with the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in front of the Louvre, which also celebrates the 1805 victory at Austerlitz. In 1989, the trio was completed with the Grande Arche at La Défense. The 8km-long (5-mile) Grand Axe (Great Axis) runs from here to the Glass Pyramid at the Louvre. |
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Top 10 Features
Viewing Platform
Taking the elevator or climbing the 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe gives visitors a sublime view of Paris. To the east is the magnificent Champs-Elysées and to the west is the Grande Arche of La Défense. Note that after the lift there are still some 40 steps to climb.
Museum
Within the arch is a small but interesting museum which tells the history of its construction and gives details of various celebrations and funerals that the arch has seen over the years. The more recent of these are shown in a short video.
Frieze
A frieze running around the arch shows French troops departing for battle (east) and their victorious return (west).
Triumph of Napoleon
As you look at the arch from the Champs-Elysées, the relief on the left base shows the Triumph of Napoleon. This celebrates the Treaty of Vienna peace agreement signed in 1810, when Napoleon’s empire was in its heyday.
Battle of Austerlitz
Another battle victory is shown on a frieze on the arch’s northern side. It depicts Napoleon’s heavily outnumbered troops breaking the ice on Lake Satschan in Austria, a tactic which drowned thousands of enemy troops.
Battle of Aboukir
Above the Triumph of Napoleon carving is this scene showing Napoleonic victory over the Turks in 1799. The same victory was commemorated on canvas in 1806 by the French painter Antoine Gros and is now on display at the palace of Versailles (see La Défense).
Thirty Shields
Immediately below the top of the arch runs a row of 30 shields, each carrying the name of a Napoleonic victory.
