Arc de Triomphe

A triumphal arch at the western end of the Champs-Élysées in Paris, in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle. Ordered by Napoleon I, it was begun in 1806 and completed in 1836.

The Arc de Triomphe stands in the middle of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly Place de l’Étoile, where twelve avenues meet in the shape of a star. Napoleon I ordered it to honour those who fought for France in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Designed by Jean-François Chalgrin, it was begun in 1806 and finished in 1836, under King Louis-Philippe.

Modelled on the Arch of Titus in Rome, it is 49.54 metres high and 44.82 metres wide. The names of French victories and generals are carved on its surfaces, and beneath the vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War, marked by an eternal flame. The arch sits on the Axe historique, the line of monuments running from the Louvre to La Défense.