Arc de Triomphe facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Arc de Triomphe

Alternative names	Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
General information
Type	Triumphal arch
Architectural style	Neoclassicism
Location	Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly Place de l'Étoile)
Coordinates	48°52′25.6″N 2°17′42.1″E / 48.873778°N 2.295028°E / 48.873778; 2.295028
Construction started	15 August 1806
Inaugurated	29 July 1836
Height	50 m (164 ft)
Dimensions
Other dimensions	Wide: 45 m (148 ft) Deep: 22 m (72 ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Jean Chalgrin Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is a very famous monument in Paris, France. It stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. This arch is in the middle of Place Charles de Gaulle, which used to be called Place de l'Étoile. Étoile means "star" in French. This is because twelve avenues spread out from the arch like the points of a star.

The Arc de Triomphe honors French soldiers who fought and died for France. Their names are carved on the arch. Beneath the arch, you will find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

The Arc de Triomphe is a key part of the Axe historique (historic axis). This is a line of famous monuments in Paris. It stretches from the Louvre Palace to the Grande Arche de la Défense. Jean Chalgrin designed the arch in 1806. He was inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy. The Arc de Triomphe is 50 meters (164 feet) tall. It is 45 meters (148 feet) wide and 22 meters (72 feet) deep.

For a long time, Paris's Arc de Triomphe was the tallest triumphal arch in the world. Then, the Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City was finished in 1938. It is 67 meters (220 feet) tall. The Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea, is also taller. It was built in 1982 and is 60 meters (197 feet) tall. The Grande Arche near Paris is 110 meters (361 feet) high. If you count it as a triumphal arch, it is the tallest.

History of the Arc de Triomphe
- Building the Arch
- The 20th Century and Beyond
Design of the Arch
- The Monument's Art
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Details of the Arc's Art
Visiting the Arc de Triomphe
Other Arches Like It
Images for kids
See also

History of the Arc de Triomphe

Building the Arch

Avenues spread out from the Arc de Triomphe in Place Charles de Gaulle.

The Arc de Triomphe is on the right side of the Seine River. It is at the center of a circle with twelve roads coming out from it. Emperor Napoleon ordered the arch to be built in 1806. This was after his great victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. Just building the foundations took two years. In 1810, Napoleon entered Paris with his new wife, Marie-Louise. A wooden model of the arch was built for them to pass under.

The first architect, Jean Chalgrin, died in 1811. Jean-Nicolas Huyot then took over the work. Building stopped during the Bourbon Restoration. The arch was finally finished between 1833 and 1836. This was during the rule of King Louis-Philippe. The total cost was about 10 million francs. This is like €65 million or $75 million today.

On December 15, 1840, Napoleon's body was brought back to France. It passed under the arch on its way to his final resting place. In 1885, the body of Victor Hugo, a famous writer, was displayed under the arch.

The 20th Century and Beyond

Arc de Triomphe, postcard, c. 1920

A part of the Marseillaise sculpture broke off in 1916. This was the day the Battle of Verdun began. People quickly covered the sculpture. They did not want anyone to think it was a bad sign.

In 1919, a pilot named Charles Godefroy flew his plane under the arch. This happened after the end of World War I. It was filmed for newsreels.

The Arc de Triomphe became a place for French troops to parade. They marched after winning battles. It is also used for the yearly Bastille Day Military Parade. Famous marches have included the Germans in 1871 and 1940. The French and their allies marched in 1919, 1944, and 1945. After the Unknown Soldier was buried, parades stopped going directly under the arch. They now go around it to show respect for the tomb.

The Arc de Triomphe is on Paris's Axe historique. This long line of monuments goes from the Louvre to the Grande Arche de la Défense.

By the 1960s, the arch had become very dark from pollution. It was cleaned in 1965–1966. In 1982, a new arch was built. It is called the Grande Arche de la Défense. This arch completed the Axe historique line of monuments.

In 1995, a bomb was placed near the arch. It was part of a series of bombings and injured 17 people.

In 1998, when France won the FIFA World Cup, images of the players were shown on the arch.

In 2018, the Arc de Triomphe was damaged during protests. Vandals sprayed graffiti and broke into its museum. In 2021, the arch was wrapped in fabric and rope. This was a project by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Design of the Arch

The Monument's Art

Jean Chalgrin's drawing of the Arc de Triomphe, 1806.

Jean Chalgrin designed the arch in a Neoclassical style. This style is based on old Roman buildings. Many famous French sculptors created art for the arch. These include Jean-Pierre Cortot, François Rude, and Antoine Étex.

There are four main sculpture groups at the base of the arch:

The Triumph of 1810 by Cortot.
Resistance and Peace by Antoine Étex.
Departure of the Volunteers of 1792, also called La Marseillaise, by François Rude. This last one is the most famous.

Above the sculptures, there are 30 shields. They have the names of major French victories carved on them. These battles were from the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. Inside the arch, the names of 660 people are listed. These are 558 French generals. The names of generals who died in battle are underlined.

From 1882 to 1886, a large sculpture was on top of the arch. It was called Le triomphe de la Révolution. It showed a chariot pulled by horses.

Inside the monument, there is a museum. It opened in 2007. It shows how the arch was designed and tells its story.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

Under the Arc de Triomphe is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. This soldier was buried here on Armistice Day in 1920. An eternal flame burns to remember all soldiers who died and were never identified.

A special ceremony happens at the tomb every November 11. This day marks the end of World War I. The soldier's coffin was placed in the arch on November 10, 1920. It was moved to its final resting place on January 28, 1921. The stone on top says: "Here rests a French soldier who died for the Fatherland, 1914–1918."

In 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy visited the tomb. They were with President Charles de Gaulle. After President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Mrs. Kennedy remembered the eternal flame. She asked for one to be placed at her husband's grave in Arlington National Cemetery.

Details of the Arc's Art

The four main sculpture groups on the pillars are:
- Le Départ de 1792 (or La Marseillaise), by François Rude. This sculpture celebrates the French Republic. It shows Liberty calling people to fight. This group helped encourage French people during World War I.
- Le Triomphe de 1810, by Jean-Pierre Cortot. This celebrates a peace treaty. It shows Napoleon being crowned by the goddess of Victory.
- La Résistance de 1814, by Antoine Étex. This remembers the French fighting against other armies.
- La Paix de 1815, by Antoine Étex. This celebrates another peace treaty.

Le Départ de 1792
(La Marseillaise).
Le Triomphe de 1810.
La Résistance de 1814.
La Paix de 1815.

Six reliefs are carved on the arch's sides. They show important moments from the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era:
- Les funérailles du général Marceau (General Marceau's burial), by Henri Lemaire.
- La bataille d'Aboukir (The Battle of Aboukir), by Bernard Seurre.
- La bataille de Jemappes (The Battle of Jemappes), by Carlo Marochetti.
- Le passage du pont d'Arcole (The Battle of Arcole), by Jean-Jacques Feuchère.
- La prise d'Alexandrie (The Fall of Alexandria), by John-Étienne Chaponnière.
- La bataille d'Austerlitz (The Battle of Austerlitz), by Théodore Gechter.

Les funérailles du général Marceau,
20 September 1796.
La bataille d'Aboukir,
25 July 1799.
La bataille de Jemmappes,
6 November 1792.
Le passage du pont d'Arcole,
15 November 1796.
La prise d'Alexandrie,
3 July 1798.
La bataille d'Austerlitz,
2 December 1805.

The names of 158 battles are carved on the monument. These battles were fought by the French Republic and Empire. 30 battles are on the top part of the arch.

96 battles are carved on the inner walls, under the large arches.

The names of 660 military leaders are carved on the inner walls of the smaller arches. These leaders served during the French Republic and Empire. Underlined names mean they died in battle.

Northern pillar.
Eastern pillar.
Southern pillar.
Western pillar.

The large arches have figures representing characters from Roman stories. These were made by James Pradier.

The ceiling has 21 carved roses.

Inside the Arc de Triomphe:

First World War monument.
Permanent exhibition about the design of the Arch.

There are also several plaques at the bottom of the monument.

De Gaulle speech plaque.
Proclamation of the Republic plaque.

Visiting the Arc de Triomphe

You can reach the Arc de Triomphe by RER or Métro train. Get off at the Charles de Gaulle–Étoile station. The arch is in the middle of a very busy roundabout. So, it's best to use one of the two underground tunnels to get there. These tunnels are on the Champs Élysées and the Avenue de la Grande Armée.

An elevator can take you almost to the top. It goes to the attic, where there is a small museum. The museum has models of the arch and tells its history. From there, you need to climb about 40 more steps to reach the very top. This terrasse offers an amazing view of Paris.

The arch and the Place de l'Étoile are located where three parts of Paris meet. These are the 16th (south and west), 17th (north), and 8th (east) arrondissements.

Paris seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

Other Arches Like It

Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang.

Many buildings around the world look like the Arc de Triomphe. Some were even designed based on it. Examples include:

The Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest, Romania.
The Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch in Kansas City, Kansas, US.
A smaller version at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas, US.

Images for kids

The wooden Arc de Triomphe built when Napoleon and Marie Louise entered Paris in 1810.
State funeral of Victor Hugo, 31 May 1885.
Charles Godefroy flying through the Arc de Triomphe in 1919.
A colored aerial photo of the south side, published in 1921.
Arc de Triomphe in 1939.
Free French forces parading after the liberation of Paris on 26 August 1944.
Night view of the Arc de Triomphe, 2007.
The Arc de Triomphe seen from the Eiffel Tower, 2008.
Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, under the Arc de Triomphe in 2015.
Bastille Day military parade, 2017.