TheArc de Triomphe de l'Étoile,[a] often called simply theArc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments inParis, France, standing at the western end of theChamps-Élysées at the centre ofPlace Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—theétoile or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues. The location of the arc and the plaza is shared between threearrondissements,16th (south and west),17th (north), and8th (east). The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in theFrench Revolutionary andNapoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies theTomb of the Unknown Soldier fromWorld War I.
The central cohesive element of theAxe historique (historic axis, a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route running from the courtyard of theLouvre to theGrande Arche de la Défense), the Arc de Triomphe was designed byJean Chalgrin in 1806; itsiconographic programme pitsheroically nude French youths against beardedGermanic warriors inchain mail. It set the tone for public monuments with triumphant patriotic messages. Inspired by theArch of Titus inRome, Italy, the Arc de Triomphe has an overall height of 50 m (164 ft), width of 45 m (148 ft) and depth of 22 m (72 ft), while its large vault is 29.19 m (95.8 ft) high and 14.62 m (48.0 ft) wide. The smaller transverse vaults are 18.68 m (61.3 ft) high and 8.44 m (27.7 ft) wide.
Paris's Arc de Triomphe was the tallesttriumphal arch until the completion of theMonumento a la Revolución inMexico City in 1938, which is 67 m (220 ft) high. TheArch of Triumph in Pyongyang, completed in 1982, is modeled on the Arc de Triomphe and is slightly taller at 60 m (197 ft). TheGrande Arche inLa Défense near Paris is 110 metres high, and, if considered to be a triumphal arch, is the world's tallest.[6]
History
Construction and late 19th century
Avenues radiate from the Arc de Triomphe inPlace Charles de Gaulle, the former Place de l'Étoile.
The Arc de Triomphe is located on the right bank of theSeine at the centre of adodecagonal configuration of twelve radiating avenues. It was commissioned in 1806, after the victory atAusterlitz by EmperorNapoleon 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, ArchduchessMarie-Louise of Austria, he had a wooden mock-up of the completed arch constructed. The architect,Jean Chalgrin, died in 1811 and the work was taken over byJean-Nicolas Huyot.
During theBourbon Restoration, construction was halted, and it would not be completed until the reign ofLouis Philippe I, between 1833 and 1836, by the architects Goust, then Huyot, under the direction ofHéricart de Thury. The final cost was reported at about 10,000,000 francs (equivalent to an estimated €65 million or $75 million in 2020).[7][8]
The sword carried by theRepublic in theMarseillaise relief broke off on the day, it is said, that theBattle of Verdun began in 1916. The relief was immediately hidden bytarpaulins to conceal the accident and avoid any undesired ominous interpretations.[10]
The Arc de Triomphe is located on Paris'sAxe historique, a long perspective that runs from theLouvre to theGrande Arche de la Défense.
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 hisNieuport biplane under the arch's primary vault, with the event captured on newsreel.[11][12][13]Jean Navarre was the pilot who was tasked to make the flight, but he died on 10 July 1919 when he crashed nearVillacoublay while training for the flight
Following its construction, the Arc de Triomphe became the rallying point of French troops parading after successful military campaigns and for the annualBastille Day military parade. Famous victory marches around or under the Arc have included theGermans in 1871, the French in 1919, theGermans in 1940, and theFrench and Allies in 1944[14] and 1945. A United Statespostage stamp of 1945 shows theArc 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 theinterment 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. BothHitler in 1940 andCharles de Gaulle 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 throughbleaching. In the prolongation of the Avenue desChamps-Élysées, a new arch, theGrande Arche de la Défense, was built in 1982, completing the line of monuments that forms Paris'sAxe historique. After theArc de Triomphe du Carrousel and theArc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, theGrande Arche is the third arch built on the same perspective.
On 12 July 1998, whenFrance won theFIFA World Cup for the first time after defeatingBrazil3–0 at theStade de France, images of the players including double goal scorerZinedine Zidane and their names along with celebratory messages were projected onto the arch.[16]
A colourized aerial photograph of the southern side, published in 1921.
Arc de Triomphe in 1939.
21st century
In late 2018, the Arc de Triomphe suffered acts of vandalism as part of theYellow vests protests.[17] The vandals sprayed the monument with graffiti and ransacked its small museum.[18] In September 2021, the arc was wrapped in a silvery blue fabric and red rope,[19] as part ofL'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, a posthumous project planned by artistsChristo and Jeanne-Claude since the early 1960s.[20]
View of the Arc de Triomphe from theAvenue d'Iéna, 2012.
Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs, withJohn Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, under the Arc de Triomphe in 2015.
For four years from 1882 to 1886, a monumental sculpture byAlexandre Falguière topped the arch. TitledLe triomphe de la Révolution ("The Triumph of the Revolution"), it depicted a chariot drawn by horses preparing "to crush Anarchy and Despotism".[25]
Inside the monument, a permanent exhibition, conceived by artistMaurice Benayoun and architect Christophe Girault, opened in February 2007.[26]
A ceremony is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every 11 November on the anniversary of theArmistice of 11 November 1918 signed by theEntente Powers andGermany in 1918. It was originally decided on 12 November 1919 to bury the unknown soldier's remains in thePanthéon, 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.[28] 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").[28]
The four main sculptural groups on each of the Arc's pillars are:
Le Départ de 1792 (orLa Marseillaise), byFrançois Rude. The sculptural group celebrates the cause of theFrench First Republic during the10 August uprising. Above the volunteers is the winged personification ofLiberty. This group served as a recruitment tool in the early months ofWorld War I and encouraged the French to invest in war loans in 1915–1916.[30]
Permanent exhibition in the attic room below the terrace.
There are several plaques at the foot of the monument:
Plaque in memory of the proclamation of theRepublic, 4 September 1870.
Plaque in memory of the return of the regionsAlsace andLorraine to France, 11 November 1918.
Plaque in memory of the fighters of theArmies and theResistance who died for France, 1939–1945.
Plaque in memory ofde Gaulle's speech, 18 June 1940.
Access
TheArc de Triomphe is accessible by theRER andMétro, with exit at theCharles de Gaulle–Étoile station. Because of heavy traffic on the roundabout of which the Arc is the centre, pedestrians use the two underpasses located at theChamps-Élysées and theAvenue de la Grande Armée. 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, theterrasse, from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Paris.[33]
The location of the arc, as well as the Place de l'Étoile, is shared between threearrondissements,16th (south and west),17th (north), and8th (east).
Paris seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
Replicas
While many structures around the world resemble theArc de Triomphe, some were actually inspired by it. Replicas that used its design as a model include theRosedale World War I Memorial Arch in Kansas City, US (1924); theArcul de Triumf in Bucharest, Romania (1936); theArch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea (1982); and a miniature version at theParis Casino in Las Vegas, US (1999).[34]
^Melville Wallace,La vie d'un pilote de chasse en 1914–1918, Flammarion, Paris, 1978. The film clip is included in The History Channel'sFour Years of Thunder.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_Waaghalzerij_in_de_lucht%2c_SFA006011795.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_05.JPG)
_Arc_de_Triomphe.JPG)
