Arc de Triomphe: a stone gateway to Parisian history

Arc de Triomphe rises above western Paris as a monumental arch that weaves Napoleon’s ambitions, national memory and urban geometry into a single vantage point.

Arc de Triomphe stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where a broad triumphal arch crowns a busy junction of avenues and opens out over the city. Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon I in 1806 and inaugurated in 1836, it turns military commemoration into a permanent part of the urban landscape.Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon I

An arch shaped by the Napoleonic era

The origin of Arc de Triomphe lies in Napoleon’s decision, taken after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, to commemorate the French armies in stone.Napoleon ordered a triumphal arch Work formally began in 1806 when the foundation stone was laid on 15 August, Napoleon’s birthday, on the height known as the Place de l’Étoile.Foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1806

The first architect, Jean?François?Thérèse Chalgrin, drew heavily on the proportions of the Arch of Titus in Rome, enlarging the model into a free?standing block of masonry with a dominant central passage and secondary side passages.Designed by Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin Regime changes interrupted the building campaign, and further architects including Guillaume?Abel Blouet oversaw later stages before the monument was finally inaugurated on 29 July 1836 in the reign of King Louis?Philippe I.Inaugurated on 29 July 1836

Architecture, sculpture and inscriptions in stone

Arc de Triomphe rises to about 50 m (164 ft), giving it a scale that dominates the surrounding rooftops and marks the end of the historical axis that runs through Paris.The monument is 50 metres tall The structure is a massive rectangular block pierced by a tall main archway and flanked by smaller side arches on each face, its façades clad in pale stone and framed by projecting cornices and pilasters.

On the four main piers, large sculptural groups depict scenes from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic campaigns, including the departure of volunteers in 1792 and a representation of the Battle of Austerlitz. On the inner surfaces and along the top of the monument, carved inscriptions list battles and generals from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, turning the masonry into a catalogue of campaigns. Beneath the arch, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War occupies a central position, marked by a simple grave and an inscription, with an eternal flame that is rekindled at regular intervals.Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the arch

A junction of avenues and a viewing platform over Paris

Arc de Triomphe stands at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly Place de l’Étoile, where twelve avenues radiate from a circular junction. From the street level around the base, the monument appears as a stone island encircled by traffic, with pedestrian approaches connecting the pavements to the foot of the arch.

Inside the structure, a stair rises through the thickness of the masonry to reach the upper levels. From the roof platform, the view stretches east along the Champs?Élysées towards the Louvre and west towards the modern business district of La Défense, making the arch a vantage point on the geometry of Paris as well as a memorial. The block of stone and the void beneath it combine into a built gateway, framing the avenues while offering a level above the street from which the city’s layout can be read at a glance.

Visiting Arc de Triomphe: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Arc de Triomphe stands in Paris at the western end of the Champs?Élysées, at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, reached by the city’s Métro and nearby RER stations.
• The monument sits on a raised island above a multi?lane roundabout, and access for visitors involves crossing via underground passages and climbing stairways inside the structure.
• Arc de Triomphe lies within France, where the official language is French and the currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Arc de Triomphe

Where is Arc de Triomphe in Paris?

Arc de Triomphe stands at Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs?Élysées in Paris, on a high point where major avenues meet.

What should visitors expect inside the monument?

Visitors encounter commemorative sculpture and inscriptions at ground level, then stairways leading up through the interior to exhibition spaces and a roof platform over the city.

What makes Arc de Triomphe distinctive among Paris landmarks?

Arc de Triomphe combines a large free?standing arch, extensive military inscriptions and a rooftop viewpoint, tying national remembrance directly into the geometry of central Paris.