Editing Arc de Triomphe

{{short description|Triumphal arch in Paris, France}}
{{About||the horse race in Paris|Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe||Arch of Triumph (disambiguation)}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel]], which stands west of the [[Louvre Palace]]}}
{{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Arc de Triomphe
| native_name = 
| image = [[File:Arc de Triomphe, Paris 21 October 2010.jpg|250px]]
| caption = 
| former_names = 
| alternate_names = Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
| mapframe-zoom = 16
| building_type = [[Triumphal arch]]
| architectural_style = [[Neoclassicism]]
| structural_system = 
| cost = 
| coordinates = {{Coord|48|52|25.6|N|2|17|42.1|E|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Place Charles de Gaulle]] (formerly Place de l'Étoile)
| owner = 
| altitude = 
| start_date = 15 August 1806<ref name="Raymond2008">{{cite book |last=Raymond |first=Gino |title=Historical dictionary of France |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JVIRzOWyqUAC&pg=PA9 |access-date=28 July 2011 |date=30 October 2008 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-5095-8 |page=9 |archive-date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112200257/https://books.google.com/books?id=JVIRzOWyqUAC&pg=PA9 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| completion_date = 
| inauguration_date = 29 July 1836<ref name="Fleischmann1914">{{cite book |last=Fleischmann |first=Hector |title=An unknown son of Napoleon |url=https://archive.org/details/unknownsonofnapo00flei |access-date=28 July 2011 |year=1914 |publisher=John Lane company |page=[https://archive.org/details/unknownsonofnapo00flei/page/204 204]}}</ref>
| demolition_date = 
| height = {{cvt|50|m|ft|0}}
| other_dimensions = Wide: {{cvt|45|m|ft|0}}<br />Deep: {{cvt|22|m|ft|0}}
| floor_count = 
| floor_area = 
| main_contractor = 
| architect = [[Jean Chalgrin]]<br/>[[Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury]]
| structural_engineer = 
| services_engineer = 
| civil_engineer = 
| other_designers = 
| quantity_surveyor = 
| awards = 
}}

The '''Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|UK|ˌ|ɑːr|k|_|d|ə|_|ˈ|t|r|iː|ɒ|m|f|,_|-|_|ˈ|t|r|iː|oʊ|m|f}},<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Arc+de+Triomphe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818031516/https://www.lexico.com/definition/arc_de_triomphe?s=t |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 August 2020 |title=Arc de Triomphe |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/arc-de-triomphe |title=Arc de Triomphe |work=[[Collins English Dictionary]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |access-date=22 August 2019 |archive-date=22 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822202215/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/arc-de-triomphe |url-status=live }}</ref> {{IPAc-en|US|-|_|t|r|iː|ˈ|oʊ|m|f}},<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|arc de triomphe |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|aʁk də tʁijɔ̃f də letwal|lang|Arc de Triomphe.oga|}}; {{literal translation|Triumphal Arch of the Star}}.}} often called simply the '''Arc de Triomphe''', is one of the most famous monuments in [[Paris]], France, standing at the western end of the [[Champs-Élysées]] at the centre of [[Place Charles de Gaulle]], formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues. The location of the arc and the plaza is shared between three [[Arrondissements of Paris|arrondissements]], [[16th arrondissement of Paris|16th]] (south and west), [[17th arrondissement of Paris|17th]] (north), and [[8th arrondissement of Paris|8th]] (east). The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the [[French Revolutionary Wars|French Revolutionary]] and [[Napoleonic Wars]], with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (France)|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]] from [[World War I]].

The central cohesive element of the ''[[Axe historique]]'' (historic axis, a sequence of [[Monument|monuments]] and grand [[Thoroughfare|thoroughfares]] on a route running from the courtyard of the [[Louvre]] to the [[Grande Arche]] de la Défense), the Arc de Triomphe was designed by [[Jean Chalgrin]] in 1806; its [[Iconography|iconographic]] programme pits [[Heroic nudity|heroically nude]] French youths against bearded [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] warriors in [[chain mail]]. It set the tone for public monuments with triumphant patriotic messages. Inspired by the [[Arch of Titus]] in [[Rome]], Italy, the Arc de Triomphe has an overall height of {{cvt|50|m|ft|0}}, width of {{cvt|45|m|ft}} and depth of {{cvt|22|m|ft}}, while its large vault is {{cvt|29.19|m|ft}} high and {{cvt|14.62|m|ft}} wide. The smaller transverse vaults are {{cvt|18.68|m|ft}} high and {{cvt|8.44|m|ft}} wide.

Paris's Arc de Triomphe was the tallest [[triumphal arch]] until the completion of the [[Monumento a la Revolución]] in [[Mexico City]] in 1938, which is {{cvt|67|m|ft|0}} high. The [[Arch of Triumph (Pyongyang)|Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang]], completed in 1982, is modeled on the Arc de Triomphe and is slightly taller at {{cvt|60|m|ft|0}}. The [[Grande Arche]] in [[La Défense]] near Paris is 110 metres high, and, if considered to be a triumphal arch, is the world's tallest.<ref name=ParisDigest>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parisdigest.com/monument/arc-de-triomphe-facts.htm |title=Arc de Triomphe facts |year=2018 |publisher=Paris Digest |access-date=6 September 2018 |archive-date=7 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907032231/https://www.parisdigest.com/monument/arc-de-triomphe-facts.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

== History ==
=== Construction and late 19th century ===
[[File:Paris - Orthophotographie - 2018 - Place Charles-de-Gaulle 02.jpg|left|thumb|Avenues radiate from the Arc de Triomphe in [[Place Charles de Gaulle]], the former Place de l'Étoile.]]

The Arc de Triomphe is located on the right bank of the [[Seine]] at the centre of a [[Place Charles de Gaulle|dodecagonal configuration of twelve radiating avenues]]. It was commissioned in 1806, after the victory at [[Battle of Austerlitz|Austerlitz]] by Emperor [[Napoleon]] 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, Archduchess [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie-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 by [[Jean-Nicolas Huyot]].

During the [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]], construction was halted, and it would not be completed until the reign of [[Louis Philippe I]], between 1833 and 1836, by the architects Goust, then Huyot, under the direction of [[Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury|Héricart de Thury]]. The final cost was reported at about 10,000,000 francs (equivalent to an estimated €65 million or $75 million in 2020).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fpx9pqp_d5AC&dq=%2210,432,000+francs%22+triomphe&pg=PP252 |title=L'Abeille |date=1848 |publisher=Petit Séminaire de Québec |language=fr |access-date=25 November 2021 |archive-date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112200258/https://books.google.com/books?id=Fpx9pqp_d5AC&dq=%2210,432,000+francs%22+triomphe&pg=PP252 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Currency Converter |url=https://www.historicalstatistics.org/Currencyconverter.html |access-date=5 October 2021 |website=www.historicalstatistics.org |archive-date=20 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120202259/http://www.historicalstatistics.org/Currencyconverter.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 15 December 1840, [[Retour des cendres|brought back to France]] from [[Saint Helena]], Napoleon's remains passed under it on their way to the Emperor's [[Napoleon's tomb|final resting place]] at {{lang|fr|[[Les Invalides]]|italic=no}}.<ref>[http://www.paris.org/Musees/Invalides/ Hôtel des Invalides website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725104448/http://www.paris.org/Musees/Invalides/ |date=25 July 2008 }}.</ref> Before burial in the [[Panthéon]], the body of [[Victor Hugo]] was displayed under the Arc on the night of 22 May 1885.

<br><gallery mode="packed">
File:Barrière de l'étoile, QB.244a (cropped).jpg|The Arc de Triomphe under construction between the toll houses of the ''Barrière de l'Étoile'', 1818.
File:Funerailles de l'Empereur Napoleon.png|State funeral of Emperor [[Napoleon]], 15 December 1840.
File:Nouveau Paris. - Vue générale du rond-point de l'Etoile dessin de M. Bertrand. - Voir page 610. QB.298.jpg|The Place de l'Étoile and Arc de Triomphe, 1868.
File:Les officiels regroupés sous l'Arc de Triomphe, 4246(2).jpg|State funeral of [[Victor Hugo]], 31 May 1885.
</gallery>

=== 20th century ===
The sword carried by the ''Republic'' in the ''Marseillaise'' relief broke off on the day, it is said, that the [[Battle of Verdun]] began in 1916. The relief was immediately hidden by [[tarpaulin]]s to conceal the accident and avoid any undesired ominous interpretations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.placesinfrance.com/history_arc_de_triomphe.html |title=History of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris |publisher=Places in France |access-date=28 December 2013 |archive-date=7 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007100623/http://placesinfrance.com/history_arc_de_triomphe.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

[[File:Avenue des Champs-Élysées 01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|The Arc de Triomphe is located on Paris's ''[[Axe historique]]'', a long perspective that runs from the [[Louvre]] to the [[Grande 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 his [[Nieuport]] biplane under the arch's primary vault, with the event captured on newsreel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.histoire-image.org/site/oeuvre/analyse.php?i=260&d=441 |title=Les débuts de l'aviation : Charles Godefroy – L'Histoire par l'image |publisher=Histoire-image.org |access-date=13 August 2014 |archive-date=10 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810040558/http://www.histoire-image.org/site/oeuvre/analyse.php?i=260&d=441 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Melville Wallace, ''La vie d'un pilote de chasse en 1914–1918'', Flammarion, Paris, 1978. The film clip is included in The History Channel's ''Four Years of Thunder''.</ref><ref>* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k572980s « Un aviateur passe en avion sous l'Arc de Triomphe »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930200901/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k572980s |date=30 September 2020 }}, ''[[Le Matin (France)|Le Matin]]'' from 1919/08/08, p.1, column 3–4.
* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k809713r « Un avion passe sous l'Arc de Triomphe »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921024431/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k809713r |date=21 September 2020 }}, ''[[L'Écho de Paris]]'' from 1919/08/08, p.1, column 3.
* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k299396b « L'Acte insensé d'un aviateur »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023063334/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k299396b |date=23 October 2020 }}, par Raoul Alexandre, [[L'Humanité]] from 1919/08/08, p.1, column 2.
* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k789003z « Un avion, ce matin, est passé sous l'Arc de Triomphe »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921042046/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k789003z |date=21 September 2020 }}, par Paul Cartoux, [[L'Intransigeant]] from 1919/08/08, p.1, column 6.
* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k243729f « Aéronautique : l'inutile exploit du sergent Godefroy »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028100422/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k243729f |date=28 October 2020 }}, ''[[Le Temps (1861-1942)|Le Temps]]'' from 1919/08/09, morning edition, p.3, column 4–5.</ref> [[Jean Navarre]] was the pilot who was tasked to make the flight, but he died on 10 July 1919 when he crashed near [[Villacoublay]] while training for the flight

[[File:Crowds of French patriots line the Champs Elysees-edit2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Free France|Free French]] forces on parade after the [[liberation of Paris]] on 26 August 1944.]]

Following its construction, the Arc de Triomphe became the rallying point of French troops parading after successful military campaigns and for the annual [[Bastille Day military parade]]. Famous victory marches around or under the Arc have included the [[German Empire|Germans]] in 1871, the French in 1919, the [[Occupation of France by Nazi Germany|Germans]] in 1940, and the [[Liberation of Paris|French and Allies]] in 1944<ref>[http://pictopia.com/perl/get_image?size=457x275_mb&provider_id=38&ptp_photo_id=79689 Image of Liberation of Paris parade] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011119/http://pictopia.com/perl/get_image?size=457x275_mb&provider_id=38&ptp_photo_id=79689 |date=28 September 2007 }}.</ref> and 1945. A United States [[postage stamp]] of 1945 shows the ''Arc 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 the [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (France)|interment 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. Both [[Hitler]] in 1940 and [[Charles 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 through [[bleaching]]. In the prolongation of the Avenue des [[Champs-Élysées]], a new arch, the [[Grande Arche]] de la Défense, was built in 1982, completing the line of monuments that forms Paris's ''Axe historique''. After the ''[[Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel]]'' and the ''Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile'', the ''Grande Arche'' is the third arch built on the same perspective.

In 1995, the [[Armed Islamic Group of Algeria]] placed a bomb near the Arc de Triomphe which wounded 17 people as part of a [[1995 Paris Métro and RER bombings|campaign of bombings]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/18/world/bomb-near-arc-de-triomphe-wounds-17.html |title=Bomb Near Arc De Triomphe wounds 17 |newspaper=New York Times |date=18 August 1995 |access-date=8 January 2015 |last1=Simons |first1=Marlise |archive-date=8 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108151545/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/18/world/bomb-near-arc-de-triomphe-wounds-17.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 12 July 1998, when [[France national football team|France]] won the [[FIFA World Cup]] for the first time after defeating [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] [[1998 FIFA World Cup final|3–0]] at the [[Stade de France]], images of the players including double goal scorer [[Zinedine Zidane]] and their names along with celebratory messages were projected onto the arch.<ref>{{cite web |title=France 98 : Nuit de fête sur les Champs-Elysées après la victoire (Archive INA) |trans-title=France 98: Night of celebration on the Champs-Elysées after the victory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyuVIRDtel4 |publisher=Institut National de l'Audiovisuel |author=((France 2)) |date=13 July 1998 |access-date=20 July 2023 |website=YouTube |language=FR |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720151350/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyuVIRDtel4 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<br><gallery mode="packed">
File:Parijs (Frankrijk) Waaghalzerij in de lucht, SFA006011795.jpg|[[Charles Godefroy]] flying through the Arc de Triomphe in 1919.
File:Paris. Arc de Triomphe. Postcard, c.1920.jpg|Arc de Triomphe, postcard, {{Circa|1920}}.
File:Collier's 1921 Vol 4 Frontispiece -- Paris.jpg|A colourized aerial photograph of the southern side, published in 1921.
File:Avenue des Champs-Élysées in 1939.jpg|Arc de Triomphe in 1939.
</gallery>

=== 21st century ===
In late 2018, the Arc de Triomphe suffered acts of vandalism as part of the [[Yellow vests protests]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Irish |first1=John |title=Macron mulls state of emergency after worst unrest in decades |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-protests/macron-visits-riot-damaged-arc-de-triomphe-state-of-emergency-mulled-idUKKBN1O1076 |website=Reuters |date=2 December 2018 |access-date=2 December 2018 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726082232/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-protests/macron-visits-riot-damaged-arc-de-triomphe-state-of-emergency-mulled-idUKKBN1O1076 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The vandals sprayed the monument with graffiti and ransacked its small museum.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Katz |first=Brigit |title=Arc de Triomphe to Reopen After Being Vandalized During 'Yellow Vest' Protests |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arc-de-triomphe-reopen-after-being-vandalized-during-yellow-vest-protests-180970994/ |access-date=4 July 2020 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206065445/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arc-de-triomphe-reopen-after-being-vandalized-during-yellow-vest-protests-180970994/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2021, the arc was wrapped in a silvery blue fabric and red rope,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Here's Why The Arc De Triomphe Was Just Wrapped In Fabric |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/17/1038287275/arc-de-triomphe-christo-jeanne-claude-wrapped |access-date=19 September 2021 |newspaper=NPR |date=17 September 2021 |language=en |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |archive-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919220900/https://www.npr.org/2021/09/17/1038287275/arc-de-triomphe-christo-jeanne-claude-wrapped |url-status=live }}</ref> as part of [[L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped]], a posthumous project planned by artists [[Christo and Jeanne-Claude]] since the early 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Katz |first=Brigit |title=L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped: Christo's dream being realised |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/jun/13/larc-de-triomphe-wrapped-christo-dream-bulgarian-artist |access-date=21 June 2021 |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=13 June 2021 |language=en |archive-date=20 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620210243/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/jun/13/larc-de-triomphe-wrapped-christo-dream-bulgarian-artist |url-status=live }}</ref>

<br><gallery mode="packed">
File:Arc de Triomphe de lÉtoile, Paris 7 June 2012.jpg|View of the Arc de Triomphe from the [[Avenue d'Iéna]], 2012.
File:Secretary Kerry, French Foreign Minister Fabius, Ambassador Hartley Pause After 70th Anniversary VE Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony in Paris (17421255431).jpg|[[Laurent Fabius]], Minister of Foreign Affairs, with [[John Kerry]], U.S. Secretary of State, under the Arc de Triomphe in 2015.
File:Bastille Day Parade 170714-D-PB383-005 (35087624434).jpg|[[Bastille Day]] military parade, 2017.
File:PARADE DES CHAMPIONS PARIS 2024 CHAMPS ELYSEES (53997937113).jpg|The Arc de Triomphe during the [[2024 Summer Olympics]] in Paris.
</gallery>

== Design ==
=== Monument ===
[[File:Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile - Projet Chalgrin - 02.jpg|thumb|[[Jean Chalgrin]]'s drawing of the Arc de Triomphe, 1806.]]

The [[astylar]] design is by [[Jean Chalgrin]] (1739–1811), in the [[Neoclassicism|Neoclassical]] version of [[ancient Roman architecture]]. Major [[Academy|academic]] sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the ''Arc de Triomphe'': [[Jean-Pierre Cortot]]; [[François Rude]]; [[Antoine Étex]]; [[James Pradier]] and [[Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire]]. The main sculptures are not integral [[frieze]]s but are treated as independent trophies applied to the vast [[ashlar]] masonry masses, not unlike the gilt-bronze [[appliqué]]s on [[Empire style|Empire furniture]]. The four sculptural groups at the base of the Arc are ''The Triumph of 1810'' (Cortot), ''Resistance'' and ''Peace'' (both by Antoine Étex), and the most renowned of them all, ''Departure of the Volunteers of 1792'' commonly called ''[[La Marseillaise]]'' ([[François Rude]]). The face of the allegorical representation of France calling forth her people on this last was used as the belt buckle for the honorary rank of [[Marshal of France]]. Since the fall of Napoleon (1815), the sculpture representing ''Peace'' is interpreted as commemorating the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)|Peace of 1815]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ackland.emuseum.com/objects/1640/sculpture-on-the-arc-de-triomphe-the-peace-of-1815-by-antoi;jsessionid=365026D7EE7878A64647A53F71EC0076 |title=Sculpture on the Arc De Triomphe: the Peace of 1815 by Antoine Etex |publisher=Ackland Art Museum |access-date=1 October 2022 |archive-date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112200248/http://ackland.emuseum.com/objects/1640/sculpture-on-the-arc-de-triomphe-the-peace-of-1815-by-antoi;jsessionid=365026D7EE7878A64647A53F71EC0076 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the attic above the richly sculptured frieze of soldiers are 30 shields [[Battles inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe|engraved with the names of major French victories]] in the [[Wars of the French Revolution|French Revolution]] and [[Napoleonic Wars|Napoleonic wars]].<ref>The [[Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro]] is inscribed as a French victory, instead of the tactical draw and strategic defeat that it actually was.</ref> The inside walls of [[Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe|the monument list the names of 660 people]], among which are 558 French generals of the [[First French Empire]];<ref>Among the generals are at least two foreign generals, Venezuelan [[Francisco de Miranda]] and German-born [[Nicolas Luckner]].</ref> The names of those generals killed in battle are underlined. Also inscribed, on the shorter sides of the four supporting columns, are the names of the major French victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The battles that took place in the period between the [[Hundred Days|departure of Napoleon from Elba to his final defeat at Waterloo]] are not included.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://frenchmoments.eu/arc-de-triomphe-paris/ |title=Discover the Arc de Triomphe in Paris |website=French Monuments |date=26 November 2012 |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529115444/http://frenchmoments.eu/arc-de-triomphe-paris/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

For four years from 1882 to 1886, a monumental sculpture by [[Alexandre Falguière]] topped the arch. Titled ''Le triomphe de la Révolution'' ("The Triumph of the Revolution"), it depicted a chariot drawn by horses preparing "to crush Anarchy and Despotism".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CLcvAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA318 |title=L'Art moderne |page=318 |year=1882 |publisher=Imp. Ve (i.e. 5th) Monnom |access-date=18 March 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120085155/https://books.google.com/books?id=CLcvAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA318 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Inside the monument, a permanent exhibition, conceived by artist [[Maurice Benayoun]] and architect Christophe Girault, opened in February 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arc-de-triomphe.org/ |title=Between War and Peace |access-date=15 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216184504/http://arc-de-triomphe.org/ |archive-date=16 December 2014}}</ref>

=== Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ===
[[File:Paris Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile Grabmal des Unbekannten Soldaten 2.jpg|thumb|[[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (France)|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]] beneath the Arc de Triomphe.]]

Beneath the Arc is the [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (France)|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]] from [[World War I]]. Interred on [[Armistice Day]] 1920,<ref name="NaourAllen2005">{{cite book |last1=Naour |first1=Jean-Yves Le |last2=Allen |first2=Penny |title=The Living Unknown Soldier: A Story of Grief and the Great War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3E3PRfQdBosC&pg=PA78 |access-date=28 July 2011 |date=16 August 2005 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-8050-7937-1 |page=74}}</ref> an eternal flame burns in memory of the dead who were never identified (now in both world wars).<ref name=granfield>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xw9Cw3Khj68C&pg=PP15 |title=The Unknown Soldier |publisher=North Winds Press |first=Linda |last=Granfield |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-4399-3558-6 |access-date=18 March 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120085157/https://books.google.com/books?id=Xw9Cw3Khj68C&pg=PP15 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A ceremony is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every 11 November on the anniversary of the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918]] signed by the [[Allies of World War I|Entente Powers]] and [[German Reich|Germany]] in 1918. It was originally decided on 12 November 1919 to bury the unknown soldier's remains in the [[Panthéon]], 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.<ref name=granfield/> 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").<ref name=granfield/>

In 1961, U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] and First Lady [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline Kennedy]] paid their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by President [[Charles de Gaulle]]. After the 1963 [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President Kennedy]], Mrs. Kennedy remembered the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe and requested that an eternal flame be placed next to her husband's grave at [[Arlington National Cemetery]] in Virginia.<ref>{{cite book| last=Gormley| first=Beatrice| author2=Meryl Henderson| title=Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: Friend of the Arts| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F03mk7v-QxUC&q=eternal+flame| pages=142–43| date=11 May 2010| publisher=Simon and Schuster| location=New York| isbn=978-1-4391-1358-5| access-date=1 August 2024| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Details ==
* The four main sculptural groups on each of the Arc's pillars are:
** ''Le Départ de 1792'' (or ''[[La Marseillaise]]''), by [[François Rude]]. The sculptural group celebrates the cause of the [[French First Republic]] during the [[insurrection of 10 August 1792]]. Above the volunteers is the winged personification of [[Liberty (personification)|Liberty]]. This group served as a recruitment tool in the early months of [[World War I]] and encouraged the French to invest in war loans in 1915–1916.<ref>{{cite book |last=Forrest |first=Alan |title=The Legacy of the French Revolutionary Wars |date=28 May 2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=38 |isbn=978-1-1394-8924-9}}</ref>
** ''Le Triomphe de 1810'', by [[Jean-Pierre Cortot]] celebrates the [[Treaty of Schönbrunn]]. This group features [[Napoleon]], crowned by the [[Victoria (mythology)|goddess of Victory]].
** ''La Résistance de 1814'', by [[Antoine Étex]] commemorates the French Resistance to the Allied Armies during the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]].
** ''La Paix de 1815'', by [[Antoine Étex]] commemorates the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)|Treaty of Paris]], concluded in that year.

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="240">
File:Paris July 2011-16a.jpg|''Le Départ de 1792'' <br /> (''[[La Marseillaise]]'').
File:Paris July 2011-17a.jpg|''Le Triomphe de 1810''.
File:Paris July 2011-15a.jpg|''La Résistance de 1814''.
File:Antoine Étex, Der Friede von 1815, Halbrelief, Arc de Triomphe, Paris.jpg|''La Paix de 1815''.
</gallery>

* Six [[relief]]s sculpted on the façades of the arch, representing important moments of the [[French Revolution]] and of the [[First French Empire|Napoleonic era]] include:
** ''Les funérailles du général Marceau'' ([[François Séverin Marceau|General Marceau]]'s burial), by [[Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire]] (Southern façade, right).
** ''La bataille d'Aboukir'' (The [[Battle of Abukir (1799)|Battle of Aboukir]]), by [[Bernard Seurre]] (Southern façade, left).
** ''La bataille de Jemappes'' (The [[Battle of Jemappes]]), by [[Carlo Marochetti]] (Eastern façade).
** ''Le passage du pont d'Arcole'' (The [[Battle of Arcole]]), by [[Jean-Jacques Feuchère]] (Northern façade, right).
** ''La prise d'Alexandrie'' (The [[Capture of Alexandria|Fall of Alexandria]]), by [[John-Étienne Chaponnière]] (Northern façade, left).
** ''La bataille d'Austerlitz'' (The [[Battle of Austerlitz]]), by [[Jean-François-Théodore Gechter]] (Western façade).

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Bataille de Jemmappes.jpg|''La [[Battle of Jemappes|bataille de Jemmappes]]'',<br /> 6 November 1792.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Bataille d'Austerlitz.jpg|''La [[Battle of Austerlitz|bataille d'Austerlitz]]'',<br /> 2 December 1805.
</gallery>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="100">
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Mort de Marceau 2.jpg|''Les funérailles du [[François Séverin Marceau|général Marceau]]'',<br /> 20 September 1796.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe Bataille d'Aboukir.jpg|''La [[Battle of Abukir (1799)|bataille d'Aboukir]]'',<br />25 July 1799.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe passage du pont d'Arcole.jpg|''Le passage du [[Battle of Arcole|pont d'Arcole]]'',<br /> 15 November 1796.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe prise d'Alexandrie.jpg|''La [[Capture of Alexandria|prise d'Alexandrie]]'',<br /> 3 July 1798.
</gallery>

* The [[Battles inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe|names of 158 battles]] fought by the [[French First Republic]] and the [[First French Empire]] are engraved on the monument. Among them, 30 battles are engraved on the attic:

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:Batailles gravées sur atique ADT.jpg
</gallery>

* 96 battles are engraved on the inner façades, under the great arches:

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="500">
File:Batailles gravées sous grandes arcades.jpg|
</gallery>

* The [[Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe|names of 660 military leaders]] who served during the [[French First Republic]] and the [[First French Empire]] are engraved on the inner façades of the small arches.<ref>{{cite web |first=Arnauld |last=Divry |year=2023 |title=Les 660 noms inscrits sur l'Arc de Triomphe de Paris |url= https://arnauld-divry.ovh/arc_de_triomphe.htm |website=arnauld-divry.ovh |access-date=25 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Baedeker |first=Karl |date=1860 |title=Guide à Paris par Baedeker: Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQY_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA91 |location=Paris |publisher=A. Bohné |page=91 |access-date=13 August 2021 |archive-date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112200300/https://books.google.com/books?id=QQY_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA91 |url-status=live }}</ref> Underlined names signify those who died on the battlefield:

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 2.jpg|Northern pillar.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 3.jpg|Eastern pillar.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 7.jpg|Southern pillar.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe inscriptions 6.jpg|Western pillar.
</gallery>

* The [[spandrel]]s of the great [[arch]]es are decorated with [[allegorical sculpture|allegorical figures]] representing characters in Roman mythology (by [[James Pradier]]):

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe 06.jpg|Figure of [[Pheme]] (Northern façade, left spandrel).
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe 07B.jpg|Figure of [[Victoria (mythology)|Victoria]] (Northern façade, right spandrel).
File:Figure allégorique 2 grande arche.jpg|Figure of Pheme (Southern façade, left spandrel).
File:Figure allégorique 1 grande arche.jpg|Figure of Pheme (Southern façade, right spandrel).
</gallery>

* The ceilings with sculpted [[Rose (symbolism)|roses]]:

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:Arc de triomphee.jpg|Ceilings of the great and small archways.
File:French Flag Flying.jpg|[[Flag of France|French flag]] suspended from the vault of the great archway.
File:Paris Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile Bogen 3.jpg|Ceiling of the great archway.
File:Arc de Triomphe May 7, 2008.jpg|Ceilings of the great and small archways.
</gallery>

* Interior of the Arc de Triomphe:

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:Stairs of Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (49652636762).jpg|Stairway with 284 steps leading to the [[Observation deck|rooftop terrace]] at the top of the&nbsp;arch.
File:Interior of the Arc de Triomphe (22265695019).jpg|Permanent exhibition in the attic room below the terrace.
File:Arc de Triomphe statue.jpg|[[First World War]] monument.
File:DecorSculpteMB.jpg|Permanent exhibition in the attic room below the terrace.
</gallery>

* There are several plaques at the foot of the monument:

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:Placa.004 - Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.jpg|Plaque in memory of the proclamation of the [[French Third Republic|Republic]], 4&nbsp;September&nbsp;1870.
File:Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris (4077371144).jpg|Plaque in memory of the return of the regions [[Alsace]] and [[Lorraine]] to France, 11&nbsp;November&nbsp;1918.
File:Placa.003 - Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.jpg|Plaque in memory of the fighters of the [[French Liberation Army|Armies]] and the [[French Resistance|Resistance]] who died for France, 1939–1945.
File:De Gaulle speech plaque in Arc de Triomphe.jpg|Plaque in memory of [[Charles de Gaulle|de&nbsp;Gaulle]]'s speech, 18&nbsp;June&nbsp;1940.
</gallery>

== Access ==
The ''Arc de Triomphe'' is accessible by the [[Réseau Express Régional|RER]] and [[Paris Métro|Métro]], with exit at the [[Charles 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 the ''Champs-Élysées'' and the ''[[Avenue 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, the ''[[Observation deck|terrasse]]'', from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Paris.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en/discover/the-panorama |title=The panorama |website=Centre des Monuments Nationaux |access-date=4 January 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The location of the arc, as well as the Place de l'Étoile, is shared between three [[Arrondissements of Paris|arrondissements]], [[16th arrondissement of Paris|16th]] (south and west), [[17th arrondissement of Paris|17th]] (north), and [[8th arrondissement of Paris|8th]] (east).

<br><gallery mode="packed" heights="240">
File:ArcTriompheParis.jpg|Paris seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
</gallery>

== Replicas ==
While many structures around the world resemble the ''Arc de Triomphe'', some were actually inspired by it. Replicas that used its design as a model include the [[Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch]] in Kansas City, US (1924); the [[Arcul de Triumf]] in Bucharest, Romania (1936); the [[Arch of Triumph (Pyongyang)|Arch of Triumph]] in Pyongyang, North Korea (1982); and a miniature version at the [[Paris Las Vegas|Paris Casino]] in Las Vegas, US (1999).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lacomediedevanneau.com/arc-de-triomphe-montpellier/ |title=These Arc de Triomphe Around the World… And in Montpellier? |date=20 November 2020 |access-date=21 April 2023 |archive-date=21 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421182520/https://www.lacomediedevanneau.com/arc-de-triomphe-montpellier/ |website=La Comédie de Vanneau}}</ref>

<br><gallery mode="packed">
File:Memorial arch - panoramio.jpg|[[Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch]] in Kansas City, US.
File:Triumphal Arch Bucharest 1.jpg|[[Arcul de Triumf]] in Bucharest, Romania.
File:Arch of Triumph (Pyongyang) 05.JPG|[[Arch of Triumph (Pyongyang)|Arch of Triumph]] in Pyongyang, North Korea.
File:Paris hotel (Las Vegas) Arc de Triomphe.JPG|[[Paris Las Vegas|Paris Casino]] in Las Vegas, US.
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|France}}
* [[Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe]]
* [[Battles inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe]]
* [[List of works by James Pradier]]
* [[Napoleon's tomb]]
* {{lang|fr|[[Galerie des Batailles]]|italic=no}}
* [[Bastille Day military parade]]
* [[Arcul de Triumf|Romanian Arcul de Triumf]]
* [[List of tourist attractions in Paris]]
* [[List of post-Roman triumphal arches]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Sisterlinks|d=Q64436|c=Category:Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile|s=no|wikt=no|b=no|v=no|q=no|n=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|voy=Paris/8th_arrondissement}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050306125604/http://www.parisrama.com/thematiques/thematique_arcdetriomphe.htm Inscriptions on the Arc de Triomphe]
* [http://arcdetriompheparis.com/history Clarification of history of Arc de Triomphe]
* [http://www.arc-de-triomphe.org/ The permanent exhibition inside the Arc de Triomphe]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_wyyfmCZuo View from the Arc de Triomphe]

{{8th arrondissement of Paris}}
{{16th arrondissement of Paris}}
{{Visitor attractions in Paris}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arc De Triomphe}}
[[Category:Arc de Triomphe| ]]
[[Category:Triumphal arches in France]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials related to Napoleonic Wars]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1836]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Paris]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in Paris]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of Paris]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the 16th arrondissement of Paris]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the 17th arrondissement of Paris]]
[[Category:Landmarks in France]]
[[Category:Champs-Élysées]]
[[Category:Terminating vistas in Paris]]
[[Category:Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux]]
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