The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most spectacular historic monuments of Paris, in part due to its special location in Place de l’Etoile (now Place Charles de Gaulle), from which extends radially 12 avenues, one of them the famous Champs Elysees. It thus offers an impressive view of the Louvre and Place de la Concorde in the east end of the Champs Elysees, and the Grande Arche de la Defense west end of Avenue de l’Armee.
A mid-eighteenth century, a time of great achievements in urban city such as opening large avenues, where the arc is currently a large square was empty. Ideas to fill this space were numerous and some crazy-like building a giant elephant with theater and ballroom! -.It was Napoleon who, having returned triumphant from the battle of Austerlitz decided to build a great arc in the style of Roman triumphal arch, commemorating the glory of his army and his battles. Thus, in 1806, hopes the project architect Jean-François Chalgrin, who was succeeded by Goustan and Huyot, and the work was completed under the reign of Louis Philippe in 1836, Napoleon could not see it completed.
[The Defense view from the Arc de Triomphe] When the ashes arrived in France on December 15, 1840, the procession passed under the Arc de Triomphe. Also by way of homage, the body of Victor Hugo was watched throughout the night there, May 22, 1885, before being buried in the Pantheon.
The dimensions of the arch are harmonic, with a height of 50 meters by 45 wide. The 4 pillars were decorated with reliefs allegorical works of Cortot, Etex and Rude: The Triumph, Peace, Resistance and the most famous of them, “I depart from the Volunteers in 1792″ (the departure of volunteers), better known as La Marseillaise, the work of Rude. It Liberty, represented by a winged woman, encouraged the French to fight for their freedom.
The inner sides are inscribed the names of 660 names of battles and generals, marshals and officers who fought for France, which are underlined correspond to those killed in combat. The development works in the Place de l’Etoile concluded in 1854 and some years later were 7 other avenues open as part of Baron Haussmann’s projects, completing the 12 we see today.
At the foot of the arch is, since 1921, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of World War I, which burns the eternal flame that is maintained daily by associations of veterans and their descendants and where we read: “Ici repose a soldat mort pour la Patrie français 1914-1918 “(Here lies a French soldier who died for the Fatherland). Each November 11, the date of signing of the armistice between France and Germany in 1918, made a memorial to those unsung heroes.
By paying an entry is accessed within the arc, where there is a museum that explains the process of construction and history of the famous arch and then climb the roof, from where the views of the city and other monuments are spectacular, especially on clear sunny days.