The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is located on the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the top of the Chaillot Hill. At this point, 12 of the city`s busiest thoroughfares converge. The Arc de Triomphe in Paris was built for the same purpose as the Arc de Triomphe in Rome – for military triumphs, after the brilliant victories of Napoleon`s Grand Army.
In the Roman Empire, there was a tradition of holding triumphs after significant military victories. Returning from the campaign, the soldiers passed under the triumphal arch. The Arch of Titus, the Arch of Septimius Severus, and the Arch of Constantine are still preserved in Rome.
In the era of the Napoleonic Wars, the French army won the same victories as the Romans, and a significant part of the European states were under the protectorate of France. By analogy with the Roman ones, by order of Napoleon, two triumphal arches were built in Paris. The small Arc de Triomphe Carrousel, similar to the Roman Arch of Septimius Severus, is located in the Tuileries Garden.
A huge Triumphal Arch was built on the hill of Chaillot in 1806 after the victory in the Battle of Austerlitz, which was called the "Battle of the Three Emperors". This arch is similar to the single-span Arch of Titus, but the size of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is several times larger. Its height reaches 50 meters, width-45 meters. This arch is a masterpiece of the Empire architectural style.
You can climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to enjoy the beautiful views of the city`s thoroughfares that converge at this point. In 1920, the Grave of the Unknown Soldier was created under the Arch. The names of 558 French generals are engraved inside the Arc de Triomphe. Monumental bas-reliefs are installed on the columns of the arch. The most famous of them is the bas-relief "Exit in the campaign of volunteers in 1792. This bas-relief is also called "La Marseillaise".
