Arc de Triomphe
Triumphal arch in Paris
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, commonly known as Arc de Triomphe (meaning arch of victory), at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile and the western end of the Champs-Elysées, is a very famous monument in Paris.
The Arc de Triomphe in Paris
Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte commissioned it in 1806 after victory in the Battle of Austerlitz and inaugurated on 29 July 1836. It is a large arch, but it is not possible to drive underneath it. Jean-François Chalgrin designed it, and it has roughly 300 steps that lead to the top. It has four main sculptures and six reliefs. Just beneath the vault of the arch, there is the tomb of the unknown soldier. The names of French generals and battles are engraved on the walls.
