Famous Wonders

The Glorious Arc De Triomphe
Photo by: Wolfgang Staudt, Creative Commons

Arc De Triomphe, one of the worlds largest triumph arc, is a great monument located in Paris which stands in the centre of “Charles De Gaulle”. The arc was built as the honor for those who fought for France especially during the Napoleonic wars. There are names of the generals and the wars fought engraved inside and at the top of the arch. Underneath the arch there is tomb of a soldier of World War I who is still unknown.

This great arch has a height of 50 meters, a width of 45 meters and a depth of 22 meters which makes it as a second largest triumph arc in the world. It is composed of three arcs, where two are small arcs and the other is a large arc. The large arc is 9 feet wide and 21 feet height. The design of the arc was inspired by the roman arch of Titus.

This great arc is compared as linchpin of the historic axis. It was commissioned in the year 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Napoleon. Laying the foundation of the arc took about 2 years. When Napoleon entered into Paris with his bride in the year 1810, he had a wooden mock-up of the completed arch constructed. The architect, Jean Chalgrin, died in the year 1811 and the construction was halted. Then it was succeeded by Jean Nicholas Huyot.

“An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.”