Page 214 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

212  P ARIS AREA B Y AREA

0 Arc de Triomphe

After his greatest victory, the Battle of Austerlitz in
1805, Napoleon promised his men, “You shall go
home beneath triumphal arches.” The first stone of
what was to become the world’s most famous
triumphal arch was laid the following year. But
disruptions to architect Jean Chalgrin’s plans and the
demise of Napoleonic power delayed the completion
of this monumental building until 1836. Standing 50 m
(164 ft) high, the Arc is now the customary starting
point for victory celebrations and parades. . Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
An unknown French soldier from
World War I is buried here.
KEY
1 The Battle of Aboukir, a bas-
relief by Seurre the Elder, depicts a
scene of Napoleon’s victory over
the Turkish army in 1799.
2 The frieze was executed by
Rude, Brun, Jacquet, Laitié,
Caillouette and Seurre the Elder. This
east façade shows the departure
of the French armies for new
campaigns. The west side shows
their return.
3 Thirty shields just below the
Arc’s roof each bear the name of a
victorious Napoleonic battle fought
in either Europe or Africa.
4 East façade
5 The viewing platform affords
one of the best views in Paris,
overlooking the Champs-Elysées
on one side, and the Grande Arche Triumph of Napoleon
de la Défense on the other.
J P Cortot’s high-relief
6 The Battle of Austerlitz by celebrates the Treaty
Gechter shows Napoleon’s army of Vienna peace
breaking up the ice on the Satschan agreement of 1810.
lake in order to drown thousands of
enemy troops.
7 Officers of the Imperial Army
are listed on the walls of the
smaller arches.
8 Entrance to museum

1806 Napoleon 1885 Victor Hugo’s body lies
commissions in state under the Arc 1944 Liberation of Paris.
Chalgrin to build 1836 Louis-Philippe De Gaulle leads the
triumphal Arc completes the Arc crowd from the Arc
1800 1850 1900
1840 Napoleon’s 1919 Victory
cortège passes parade of
under the Arc Allied armies
through
1815 Downfall of Napoleon. the Arc
Work on Arc ceases

212-213_EW_Paris.indd 212 03/04/17 10:57 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 3rd September 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm