★★★★★ 5.0
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Arc de Triomphe
That enormous keystone at the very top weighs eleven tons and nearly killed three workers when they hoisted it into place in 1835, using nothing but rope and pulleys. Standing beneath this colossal arch at Place Charles de Gaulle, you're experiencing one of history's most audacious construction bluffs. When Napoleon commissioned this monument in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz, he promised his Grande Armée they would march home through these very arches. But by 1810, when he needed to impress his new Austrian bride Marie-Louise, only the foundation existed. So Napoleon did what any desperate emperor would do... he built a full-scale wooden fake, complete with painted canvas details, right where you're standing now. The real arch took thirty years to complete, becoming the world's tallest triumphal arch until North Korea built a bigger one in 1982. What most visitors miss are the 558 names carved into these massive pillars... 384 generals and 174 battles, with the underlined names marking those who died in combat. The most dramatic moment in its history wasn't Napoleon's funeral procession passing beneath in 1840, but its pathetic inauguration on July 29, 1836, when only eleven people attended because officials feared an assassination attempt on King Louis-Philippe. Tonight, as darkness falls, watch for the eternal flame beneath this arch being rekindled... a nightly ritual that's continued unbroken since 1923, honoring France's Unknown Soldier who sleeps in the shadow of Napoleon's unfulfilled promise.
Did You Know?
- Napoleon, who commissioned the Arc de Triomphe in 1806 to honor his army’s victories, never saw it completed—construction took 30 years, and it was finally inaugurated in 1836, long after his exile and death. In a poignant twist, Napoleon’s ashes were paraded through the arch in 1840 when they were returned to Paris from Saint Helena, making the monument a posthumous tribute to its own creator.
- The Arc de Triomphe is not just a grand arch but a massive outdoor history book: its facades are engraved with the names of 30 decisive battles, 96 feats of arms, and 384 generals from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Beneath the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, marked by an eternal flame rekindled every evening since 1923—making it a powerful symbol of remembrance for all French soldiers lost in war.
- In 1919, daring pilot Charles Godefroy flew his biplane through the arch—a legendary (and illegal) stunt that captured Parisians’ imaginations. For families, the monument offers more than history: kids can marvel at the idea of a plane flying under the arch, enjoy panoramic views of Paris from the rooftop terrace, and witness the nightly rekindling of the eternal flame, a unique and moving ritual.