Arc de Triomphe on the Carrousel Square

The Arc de Triomphe on the Carrousel Square is the first arch of Napoleon in Paris, which he built in 1806-1808. With this arch he decided to perpetuate his victories in Italy, as well as the victory in the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, which was later called the Battle of the Three Emperors.  

The tradition of erecting Triumphal arches came from ancient Rome. These arches were built for the ceremony of the triumph of emperors returning from successful military campaigns. To this day, the Arch of Titus (the oldest), the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Arch of Constantine (the largest) have been preserved in Rome. 

Napoleon decided to revive the tradition of building triumphal arches in France.  He built the Arc de Triomphe on Carrousel Square. In 1806, he also laid the huge Arc de Triomphe of Paris, dedicated to all the victories of the Grand Army. It has huge dimensions, so its construction was completed only in 1836. 

The Arc de Triomphe on Carrousel Square was built by architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontain. In shape and decor, it is very similar to the Arch of Constantine in Rome. Carrousel Square is located opposite the grand courtyard of the Louvre. In the 19th century, on the opposite side of the square was the Tuileries Palace, where the residence of Napoleon and then other monarchs was located. During the uprising of the Paris Commune in 1871, the palace was burned down, so now the Triumphal Arch of the Carrousel is located in the middle of a huge square near the Tuileries Garden. Next on one axis are the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Elysees and the Grand Arc de Triomphe. 

The height of the Triumphal Arch of the Carrousel reaches 19 meters. It is decorated with bas-reliefs in honor of Napoleon`s victories in Italy, Germany and Austria. On the main facade is the coat of arms of the Italian Kingdom, which was created by Napoleon. A Quadriga from St. Mark Cathedral in Venice (the Quadriga of Lysippus) was installed at the top of the Carruzel Arch. After the Battle of Waterloo and the deposition of Napoleon, the quadriga was returned back to St. Mark Cathedral. Now there is a copy of it on the Carruzel Arch. 

The Lysippus quadriga was made by an ancient Greek sculptor in the 3rd century BC. Perhaps the great sculptor Lysippus made it personally. It decorated the hippodrome of the island of Chios for several centuries, then it was moved to the hippodrome of Constantinople. During the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the Crusaders took the quadriga to Venice and installed it on the terrace of St. Mark Cathedral.