The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an Avenue (landscape), avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc ...

at the centre of

Place Charles de Gaulle The Place Charles de Gaulle (), historically known as the Place de l'Étoile (), is a large road junction in Paris, France, the meeting point of twelve straight avenues (hence its historic name, which translates as "Square of the Star") includ ...

, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues. The location of the arc and the plaza is shared between three

arrondissements An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, and certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissemen ...

, 16th (south and west), 17th (north), and

8th Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an interval b ...

(east). The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, 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 A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs are located in many nations and are usually high-profile na ...

from

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The central cohesive element of the ''

Axe historique The ''Axe historique'' (; "historical axis") refers to a straightly aligned series of thoroughfare streets, squares, monuments and buildings that extend from the centre of Paris, France, to the west-northwest of the city. It is also known as t ...

'' (historic axis, a sequence of

monuments A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

and grand

thoroughfares A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way of transport, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. Originally, the word referred to a main road or open street which was frequented thoroughly. Different terms *Road ...

on a route running from the courtyard of the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

to the

Grande Arche La Grande Arche de la Défense (; "The Great Arch of the Defense"), originally called La Grande Arche de la Fraternité (; "Fraternity"), is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west ...

de la Défense), the Arc de Triomphe was designed by

Jean Chalgrin Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin (; 1739 – 21 January 1811) was a French architect, best known for his design for the Arc de Triomphe, Paris. Biography His neoclassic orientation was established from his early studies with the prophet of ne ...

in 1806; its

iconographic Iconology is a method of interpretation in cultural history and the history of the visual arts used by Aby Warburg, Erwin Panofsky and their followers that uncovers the cultural, social, and historical background of themes and subjects in the visu ...

programme pits heroically nude French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in

chain mail Mail (sometimes spelled maille and, since the 18th century, colloquially referred to as chain mail, chainmail or chain-mail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common milita ...

. It set the tone for public monuments with triumphant patriotic messages. Inspired by the

Arch of Titus The Arch of Titus (; ) is a 1st-century AD honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in 81 AD by Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to comm ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy, the Arc de Triomphe has an overall height of , width of and depth of , while its large vault is high and wide. The smaller transverse vaults are high and wide. Paris's Arc de Triomphe was the tallest

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

until the completion of the

Monumento a la Revolución The Monument to the Revolution () is a memorial arch commemorating the Mexican Revolution. It is located in the Plaza de la República, near the heart of the major thoroughfares Paseo de la Reforma and Avenida de los Insurgentes in downtown M ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

in 1938, which is high. The Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, completed in 1982, is modeled on the Arc de Triomphe and is slightly taller at . The

La Défense La Défense () is a major business district in France's Paris metropolitan area, west of the city limits. It is located in Île-de-France region's Departments of France, department of Hauts-de-Seine in the Communes of France, communes of Courbe ...

near Paris is 110 metres high, and, if considered to be a triumphal arch, is the world's tallest.

History

Construction and late 19th century

Paris - Orthophotographie - 2018 - Place Charles-de-Gaulle 02

The Arc de Triomphe is located on the right bank of the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

at the centre of a dodecagonal configuration of twelve radiating avenues. It was commissioned in 1806, after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

at the peak of his fortunes. Laying the foundations alone took two years and, in 1810, when Napoleon entered Paris from the west with his new bride, Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, he had a wooden mock-up of the completed arch constructed. The architect,

, died in 1811 and the work was taken over by

Jean-Nicolas Huyot Jean-Nicholas Huyot (25 December 1780, Paris – 2 August 1840, Paris) was a French architect, best known for his 1833 continuation of the Arc de Triomphe from the plans of Jean Chalgrin. Biography Son of a builder, Huyot attended the École ...

. During the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

, construction was halted, and it would not be completed until the reign of

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

, between 1833 and 1836, by the architects Goust, then Huyot, under the direction of Héricart de Thury. The final cost was reported at about 10,000,000 francs (equivalent to an estimated €65 million or $75 million in 2020). On 15 December 1840, brought back to France from

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

, Napoleon's remains passed under it on their way to the Emperor's final resting place at . Before burial in the

Panthéon The Panthéon (, ), is a monument in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It stands in the Latin Quarter, Paris, Latin Quarter (Quartier latin), atop the , in the centre of the , which was named after it. The edifice was built between 1758 ...

, the body of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

was displayed under the Arc on the night of 22 May 1885.
File:Barrière de l'étoile, QB.244a (cropped).jpg, The Arc de Triomphe under construction between the toll houses of the ''Barrière de l'Étoile'', 1818. File:Funerailles de l'Empereur Napoleon.png, State funeral of Emperor

, 15 December 1840. File:Nouveau Paris. - Vue générale du rond-point de l'Etoile dessin de M. Bertrand. - Voir page 610. QB.298.jpg, The Place de l'Étoile and Arc de Triomphe, 1868. File:Les officiels regroupés sous l'Arc de Triomphe, 4246(2).jpg, State funeral of

, 31 May 1885.

20th century

The sword carried by the ''Republic'' in the ''Marseillaise'' relief broke off on the day, it is said, that the

Battle of Verdun The Battle of Verdun ( ; ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in French Third Republic, France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...

began in 1916. The relief was immediately hidden by

tarpaulin A tarpaulin ( , ) or tarp is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulins often have reinf ...

s to conceal the accident and avoid any undesired ominous interpretations. On 7 August 1919 three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919 (marking the end of hostilities in World War I), Charles Godefroy flew his

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

biplane under the arch's primary vault, with the event captured on newsreel.

Jean Navarre Jean Marie Dominique Navarre (8 August 1895 – 10 July 1919) was a French aviator during World War I. As one of the pioneer flying aces, he was credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories and fifteen unconfirmed ones. Early life Born on 8 ...

was the pilot who was tasked to make the flight, but he died on 10 July 1919 when he crashed near Villacoublay while training for the flight Crowds of French patriots line the Champs Elysees-edit2

Crowds of French patriots line the Champs Elysees-edit2

Following its construction, the Arc de Triomphe became the rallying point of French troops parading after successful military campaigns and for the annual

Bastille Day military parade The Bastille Day military parade, also known as the 14 July military parade, translation of the French name of , is a French military parade that has been held on the morning of Bastille Day, 14 July, each year in Paris since 1880, almost with ...

. Famous victory marches around or under the Arc have included the

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

in 1871, the French in 1919, the

in 1940, and the French and Allies in 1944 and 1945. A United States

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...

of 1945 shows the ''Arc de Triomphe'' in the background as victorious American troops march down the Champs-Élysées and U.S. airplanes fly overhead on 29 August 1944. After the interment of the Unknown Soldier, however, all military parades (including the aforementioned post-1919) have avoided marching through the actual arch. The route taken is up to the arch and then around its side, out of respect for the tomb and its symbolism. Both

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

in 1940 and

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

in 1944 observed this custom. By the early 1960s, the monument had grown very blackened from coal soot and automobile exhaust, and during 1965–1966 it was cleaned through

bleaching Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color from (i.e. to whiten) fabric or fiber (in a process called bleaching) or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically t ...

. In the prolongation of the Avenue des

, a new arch, the

de la Défense, was built in 1982, completing the line of monuments that forms Paris's ''Axe historique''. After the ''

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel () () is a triumphal arch in Paris, located in the Place du Carrousel. It is an example of Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical architecture in the Corinthian order. It was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemo ...

'' and the ''Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile'', the ''Grande Arche'' is the third arch built on the same perspective. In 1995, the

Armed Islamic Group of Algeria The Armed Islamic Group (GIA, from ; ) was one of the two main Islamist insurgent groups that fought the Algerian government and army in the Algerian Civil War. It was created from smaller armed groups following the 1992 military coup and arr ...

placed a bomb near the Arc de Triomphe which wounded 17 people as part of a campaign of bombings. On 12 July 1998, when

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

won the

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...

for the first time after defeating

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

3–0 at the

Stade de France Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the List of football stadiums in France, largest stadium i ...

, images of the players including double goal scorer

Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; ; ''Zineddin Lyazid Zidan''; ; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as an attacking midfi ...

and their names along with celebratory messages were projected onto the arch.
File:Parijs (Frankrijk) Waaghalzerij in de lucht, SFA006011795.jpg, Charles Godefroy flying through the Arc de Triomphe in 1919. File:Paris. Arc de Triomphe. Postcard, c.1920.jpg, Arc de Triomphe, postcard, . File:Collier's 1921 Vol 4 Frontispiece -- Paris.jpg, A colourized aerial photograph of the southern side, published in 1921. File:Avenue des Champs-Élysées in 1939.jpg, Arc de Triomphe in 1939.

21st century

In late 2018, the Arc de Triomphe suffered acts of vandalism as part of the

Yellow vests protests The yellow vests protests or yellow-jacket protests (, ) were a series of populist, grassroots weekly protests in France that began on 17 November 2018 and ended on 28 June 2020. Some minor protests started again after the restrictions linked ...

. The vandals sprayed the monument with graffiti and ransacked its small museum. In September 2021, the arc was wrapped in a silvery blue fabric and red rope, as part of

L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped ''L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped'', known as "L'Arc de Triomphe Empaqueté" in French, was a temporary art installation by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude where the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was wrapped in a silver-blue fabric and red rope for two ...

, a posthumous project planned by artists

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Christo Vladimirov Javacheff (1935–2020) and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (1935–2009), known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude, were artists noted for their large-scale, site-specific environmental installations, often large landmarks a ...

since the early 1960s.
File:Arc de Triomphe de lÉtoile, Paris 7 June 2012.jpg, View of the Arc de Triomphe from the

Avenue d'Iéna Avenue or Avenues may refer to: Roads * Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees) * Avenue Road, Bangalore * Avenue Road, Lon ...

, 2012. File:Secretary Kerry, French Foreign Minister Fabius, Ambassador Hartley Pause After 70th Anniversary VE Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony in Paris (17421255431).jpg,

Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician. A member of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. Fabius was 37 years old when he was a ...

, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

, U.S. Secretary of State, under the Arc de Triomphe in 2015. File:Bastille Day Parade 170714-D-PB383-005 (35087624434).jpg,

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...

military parade, 2017. File:PARADE DES CHAMPIONS PARIS 2024 CHAMPS ELYSEES (53997937113).jpg, The Arc de Triomphe during the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

in Paris.

Design

Monument

The

astylar Astylar (from Gr. ''ἀ-'', privative, and ''στῦλος'', a column) is an architectural term given to design which uses neither columns nor pilasters for decorative purposes; thus the Riccardi and Strozzi palaces in Florence are ''astylar'' in ...

design is by

(1739–1811), in the Neoclassical version of

ancient Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often consi ...

. Major

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the ''Arc de Triomphe'':

Jean-Pierre Cortot Jean-Pierre Cortot (20 August 1787 – 12 August 1843) was a French neoclassical sculptor. Life Cortot was born and died in Paris. He was educated at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, and won the Prix de Rome in 1809, residing in the ...

;

François Rude François Rude (; 4 January 1784 – 3 November 1855) was a French sculptor, best known for the ''Departure of the Volunteers'', also known as ''La Marseillaise'' on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. (1835–36). His work often expressed patriotic t ...

; Antoine Étex;

James Pradier James Pradier (born Jean-Jacques Pradier, ; 23 May 1790 – 4 June 1852) was a Genevan-born French sculptor best known for his work in the neoclassical style. Life and work Born in Geneva (then the Republic of Geneva), Pradier was the son of a ...

and

Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire (9 January 1798, Valenciennes - 2 August 1880, Paris) was a French sculptor, working in a neoclassical academic style. Life and career He was a pupil of Pierre Cartellier, and won the Prix de Rome for sculpture ...

. The main sculptures are not integral

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

s but are treated as independent trophies applied to the vast

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

masonry masses, not unlike the gilt-bronze

appliqué Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...

s on Empire furniture. The four sculptural groups at the base of the Arc are ''The Triumph of 1810'' (Cortot), ''Resistance'' and ''Peace'' (both by Antoine Étex), and the most renowned of them all, ''Departure of the Volunteers of 1792'' commonly called ''

La Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "". The French Na ...

'' (

). The face of the allegorical representation of France calling forth her people on this last was used as the belt buckle for the honorary rank of

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

. Since the fall of Napoleon (1815), the sculpture representing ''Peace'' is interpreted as commemorating the Peace of 1815. In the attic above the richly sculptured frieze of soldiers are 30 shields engraved with the names of major French victories in the French Revolution and

Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. The inside walls of the monument list the names of 660 people, among which are 558 French generals of the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

; The names of those generals killed in battle are underlined. Also inscribed, on the shorter sides of the four supporting columns, are the names of the major French victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The battles that took place in the period between the departure of Napoleon from Elba to his final defeat at Waterloo are not included. For four years from 1882 to 1886, a monumental sculpture by

Alexandre Falguière Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière (; also given as Jean-Joseph-Alexandre Falguière, or in short Alexandre Falguière) (7 September 183120 April 1900) was a French sculptor and painter. Biography Falguière was born in Toulouse. A pupil of the ...

topped the arch. Titled ''Le triomphe de la Révolution'' ("The Triumph of the Revolution"), it depicted a chariot drawn by horses preparing "to crush Anarchy and Despotism". Inside the monument, a permanent exhibition, conceived by artist

Maurice Benayoun Maurice Benayoun (aka MoBen or 莫奔) (born 29 March 1957) is a French new-media artist, curator, and theorist based in Paris and Hong Kong. His work employs various media, including video, computer graphics, immersive virtual reality, the ...

and architect Christophe Girault, opened in February 2007.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Beneath the Arc is the

from

. Interred on

Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark Armistice of 11 November 1918, the armistice signed between th ...

1920, an eternal flame burns in memory of the dead who were never identified (now in both world wars). A ceremony is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every 11 November on the anniversary of the

Armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed in a railroad car, in the Compiègne Forest near the town of Compiègne, that ended fighting on land, at sea, and in the air in World War I between the Entente and their las ...

signed by the

Entente Powers The Allies or the Entente (, ) was an international military coalition of countries led by the French Republic, the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire, the United States, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Empire of Japan against the Central Powers ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in 1918. It was originally decided on 12 November 1919 to bury the unknown soldier's remains in the

, but a public letter-writing campaign led to the decision to bury him beneath the Arc de Triomphe. The coffin was put in the chapel on the first floor of the Arc on 10 November 1920, and put in its final resting place on 28 January 1921. The slab on top bears the inscription: ''Ici repose un soldat français mort pour la Patrie, 1914–1918'' ("Here rests a French soldier who died for the Fatherland, 1914–1918"). In 1961, U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

and First Lady

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

paid their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by President

. After the 1963

assassination of President Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Kennedy was in the vehicle with his wife Jacqueline, Texas gove ...

, Mrs. Kennedy remembered the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe and requested that an eternal flame be placed next to her husband's grave at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

in Virginia.

Details

* The four main sculptural groups on each of the Arc's pillars are: ** ''Le Départ de 1792'' (or ''

''), by

. The sculptural group celebrates the cause of the

French First Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted un ...

during the

insurrection of 10 August 1792 The insurrection of 10 August 1792 was a defining event of the French Revolution, when armed revolutionaries in Paris, increasingly in conflict with the French monarchy, stormed the Tuileries Palace. The conflict led France to abolish the mona ...

. Above the volunteers is the winged personification of

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. This group served as a recruitment tool in the early months of

and encouraged the French to invest in war loans in 1915–1916. ** ''Le Triomphe de 1810'', by

celebrates the

Treaty of Schönbrunn The Treaty of Schönbrunn (; ), sometimes known as the Peace of Schönbrunn or the Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria at Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna on 14 October 1809. The treaty ended the Fifth Coalition during the N ...

. This group features

, crowned by the goddess of Victory. ** ''La Résistance de 1814'', by Antoine Étex commemorates the French Resistance to the Allied Armies during the

War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition () (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (), a coalition of Austrian Empire, Austria, Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, Russian Empire, Russia, History of Spain (1808– ...

. ** ''La Paix de 1815'', by Antoine Étex commemorates the Treaty of Paris, concluded in that year.
File:Paris July 2011-16a.jpg, ''Le Départ de 1792''
(''

''). File:Paris July 2011-17a.jpg, ''Le Triomphe de 1810''. File:Paris July 2011-15a.jpg, ''La Résistance de 1814''. File:Antoine Étex, Der Friede von 1815, Halbrelief, Arc de Triomphe, Paris.jpg, ''La Paix de 1815''. * Six

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

s sculpted on the façades of the arch, representing important moments of the French Revolution and of the

Napoleonic era The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...

include: ** ''Les funérailles du général Marceau'' ( General Marceau's burial), by

(Southern façade, right). ** ''La bataille d'Aboukir'' (The Battle of Aboukir), by Bernard Seurre (Southern façade, left). ** ''La bataille de Jemappes'' (The

Battle of Jemappes The Battle of Jemappes (6 November 1792) took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium), near Mons during the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. One of the first major off ...

), by

Carlo Marochetti Baron Pietro Carlo Giovanni Battista Marochetti (14 January 1805 – 29 December 1867) was an Italian-born French sculptor who worked in France, Italy and Britain. He completed many public sculptures, often in a neo-classical style, plus re ...

(Eastern façade). ** ''Le passage du pont d'Arcole'' (The

Battle of Arcole The Battle of Arcole or Battle of Arcola (15–17 November 1796) was fought between French and Austrian forces southeast of Verona during the War of the First Coalition, a part of the French Revolutionary Wars. The battle saw a bold maneuver ...

), by

Jean-Jacques Feuchère Jean-Jacques Feuchère (; 24 August 1807 – 26 July 1852) was a French sculptor. He was a student of Jean-Pierre Cortot, and among his students was Jacques-Léonard Maillet. Selected works * Relief panel ''Le Pont d'Arcole'', Arc de Trio ...

(Northern façade, right). ** ''La prise d'Alexandrie'' (The Fall of Alexandria), by John-Étienne Chaponnière (Northern façade, left). ** ''La bataille d'Austerlitz'' (The

Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV French Republican calendar, FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important military engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near t ...

), by Jean-François-Théodore Gechter (Western façade).
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Bataille de Jemmappes.jpg, ''La bataille de Jemmappes'',
6 November 1792. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Bataille d'Austerlitz.jpg, ''La bataille d'Austerlitz'',
2 December 1805. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Mort de Marceau 2.jpg, ''Les funérailles du général Marceau'',
21 September 1796. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Bataille d'Aboukir.jpg, ''La bataille d'Aboukir'',
25 July 1799. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe passage du pont d'Arcole.jpg, ''Le passage du pont d'Arcole'',
15 November 1796. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe prise d'Alexandrie.jpg, ''La

prise d'Alexandrie The capture of Alexandria was the first operation on Egyptian soil during the French invasion of Egypt and Syria. On 2 July 1798, the French army landed and took the city of Alexandria from the hands of the Janissaries. Background Napoleon de ...

'',
3 July 1798. * The names of 158 battles fought by the

and the

are engraved on the monument. Among them, 30 battles are engraved on the attic:
File:Batailles gravées sur atique ADT.jpg * 96 battles are engraved on the inner façades, under the great arches:
File:Batailles gravées sous grandes arcades.jpg, * The names of 660 military leaders who served during the

and the

are engraved on the inner façades of the small arches. Underlined names signify those who died on the battlefield:
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 2.jpg, Northern pillar. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 3.jpg, Eastern pillar. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 7.jpg, Southern pillar. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 6.jpg, Western pillar. * The

spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...

s of the great

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

es are decorated with allegorical figures representing characters in Roman mythology (by

):
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe 06.jpg, Figure of

Pheme In Greek mythology, Pheme ( ; Greek: , ''Phēmē''; Roman equivalent: Fama), also known as Ossa in Homeric sources, was the personification of fame and renown, her favour being notability, her wrath being scandalous rumours. She was a daughter ...

(Northern façade, left spandrel). File:Paris Arc de Triomphe 07B.jpg, Figure of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

(Northern façade, right spandrel). File:Figure allégorique 2 grande arche.jpg, Figure of Pheme (Southern façade, left spandrel). File:Figure allégorique 1 grande arche.jpg, Figure of Pheme (Southern façade, right spandrel). * The ceilings with sculpted

roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

:
File:Arc de triomphee.jpg, Ceilings of the great and small archways. File:French Flag Flying.jpg,

French flag The national flag of France () is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. The design was adopted after the French Revolution, whose revolutionaries were influenced by the horizontally striped r ...

suspended from the vault of the great archway. File:Paris Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile Bogen 3.jpg, Ceiling of the great archway. File:Arc de Triomphe May 7, 2008.jpg, Ceilings of the great and small archways. * Interior of the Arc de Triomphe:
File:Stairs of Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (49652636762).jpg, Stairway with 284 steps leading to the rooftop terrace at the top of the arch. File:Interior of the Arc de Triomphe (22265695019).jpg, Permanent exhibition in the attic room below the terrace. File:Arc de Triomphe statue.jpg,

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

monument. File:DecorSculpteMB.jpg, Permanent exhibition in the attic room below the terrace. * There are several plaques at the foot of the monument:
File:Placa.004 - Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.jpg, Plaque in memory of the proclamation of the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

, 4 September 1870. File:Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris (4077371144).jpg, Plaque in memory of the return of the regions

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

and

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

to France, 11 November 1918. File:Placa.003 - Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.jpg, Plaque in memory of the fighters of the

Armies An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and the Resistance who died for France, 1939–1945. File:De Gaulle speech plaque in Arc de Triomphe.jpg, Plaque in memory of de Gaulle's speech, 18 June 1940.

Access

The ''Arc de Triomphe'' is accessible by the RER and Métro, with exit at the

Charles de Gaulle–Étoile Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

station. Because of heavy traffic on the roundabout of which the Arc is the centre, pedestrians use the two underpasses located at the ''Champs-Élysées'' and the ''

Avenue de la Grande Armée The Avenue de la Grande Armée is an avenue in Paris, France, marking the boundary between its 16th and 17th arrondissements. It was formerly named Avenue de la Porte Maillot as part of Route nationale 13, but was renamed to its present name ...

''. A lift will take visitors almost to the top – to the attic, where a small museum contains large models of the Arc and tells its story from the time of its construction. Another 40 steps remain to climb to reach the top, the '' terrasse'', from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Paris. The location of the arc, as well as the Place de l'Étoile, is shared between three

, 16th (south and west), 17th (north), and

(east).
File:ArcTriompheParis.jpg, Paris seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

Replicas

While many structures around the world resemble the ''Arc de Triomphe'', some were actually inspired by it. Replicas that used its design as a model include the Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch in Kansas City, US (1924); the

Arcul de Triumf Arcul de Triumf (Romanian language, Romanian; "The Triumphal Arch") is a triumphal arch located on the Șoseaua Kiseleff, Kiseleff Road, in the northern part of Bucharest, Romania. The monument, designed by Petre Antonescu, was built in 1921– ...

in Bucharest, Romania (1936); the

Arch of Triumph Arch of Triumph may refer to: * Triumphal arch, a monumental structure in the shape of an arch Structures * Arc de Triomf, an 1888 structure in Barcelona, Spain * Arc de Triomphe, an 1836 structure in the Place Charles de Gaulle, Paris, France * ...

in Pyongyang, North Korea (1982); and a miniature version at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas, US (1999).
File:Memorial arch - panoramio.jpg, Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch in Kansas City, US. File:Triumphal Arch Bucharest 1.jpg,

in Bucharest, Romania. File:Arch of Triumph (Pyongyang) 05.JPG,

in Pyongyang, North Korea. File:Paris hotel (Las Vegas) Arc de Triomphe.JPG, Paris Casino in Las Vegas, US.

Notes

References

External links

Inscriptions on the Arc de Triomphe

Clarification of history of Arc de Triomphe

The permanent exhibition inside the Arc de Triomphe

View from the Arc de Triomphe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arc De Triomphe Triumphal arches in France Monuments and memorials related to Napoleonic Wars Buildings and structures completed in 1836 Monuments and memorials in Paris Neoclassical architecture in Paris Buildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of Paris Buildings and structures in the 16th arrondissement of Paris Buildings and structures in the 17th arrondissement of Paris Landmarks in France Champs-Élysées Terminating vistas in Paris Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux