Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHT
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Napole
́
on's armies never did march through the Arc de Triomphe showered in
honour, but the monument has nonetheless come to stand as the very sym-
bol of French patriotism. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the names of
the numerous generals engraved onto the arch's inner walls pay homage to
those who have fought and died for France. It's not for nationalistic senti-
ments, however, that so many visitors huff up the narrow, spiralling staircase
every day. Rather it's the sublime panoramas from the top that make the arch
such a notable attraction.
The arch was first commissioned in 1806 in the style of a Roman triumphal arch, follow-
ing Napole
́
on's victory at Austerlitz the year before. At the time, the victory seemed like a
watershed moment that confirmed the tactical supremacy of the French army, but a mere
decade later, Napole
́
on had already fallen from power and his empire had crumbled. The
Arc de Triomphe was never fully abandoned - simply laying the foundations, after all, had
taken an entire two years - and in 1836, after a series of starts and stops under the restored
monarchy, the project was finally completed. In 1840 Napole
́
on's remains were returned to
France and passed under the arch before being interred at Invalides.
