Arc de Triomphe, << ahrk duh tree AWNF, >> in Paris is the largest triumphal arch in the world. The arch stands 162 feet (49.5 meters) high. It is known as the Arch of Triumph in English. It stands at the western end of the broad avenue called the Champs Elysees.
Loading the player...Arc de Triomphe on Champs-Elysees, Paris
Emperor Napoleon I commissioned the arch in 1806 as a memorial to his imperial armies. It was designed by architect Jean-Francois Chalgrin, who patterned it after the triumphal arches of ancient Rome. The arch was left unfinished when Napoleon lost power in 1814. It was completed in 1836. The structure is an example of the neoclassical style of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The arch is decorated with relief sculpture, notably the group of figures called La Marseillaie (1836) by Francois Rude. The grave of France’s Unknown Soldier of World War I lies beneath the arch.
