Arc de Triomphe, a remarkable monument offering magnificent views, located in the heart of the Place de l'Étoile in Paris.
The Arc de Triomphe stands on a magnificent perspective: to the east are the Champs-Élysées, the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. To the west are the La Défense district and its Grande Arche. To help you locate the capital's major sites, there are orientation tables on the terrace at the top, where you'll also find a small museum recounting the history of the building. It was commissioned by Napoleon I as a tribute to the French armies. Construction began in 1806 and was completed 30 years later, under the reign of Louis-Philippe. Designed by architect Jean-François Chalgrin, the Arc rises to a height of 50 metres and is 45 m wide. It is decorated with high and low reliefs sculpted by some fifty artists. The most famous work is La Marseillaise by François Rude (on the Champs-Élysées side). Still on the Arc, you can read the names of generals and victories won by revolutionary and imperial armies. Beneath the monument, in 1921, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was erected to commemorate the soldiers who died in the First World War. A flame is rekindled there every day at 6.30pm. In recent months, it has been at the center of celebrations for the Olympic Games. Access is via a pedestrian underpass across the Place de l'Étoile. On site, a museum and, above all, access to the roof of the Arc are just some of the possibilities on offer, as is the opportunity to pay tribute to the Unknown Soldier.
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