Napoleon I had the Arc de Triomphe constructed in an effort to make the capital of his extensive empire the most beautiful city in the world (he succeeded in my opinion). The plans for the Arc – “a column dedicated to the glory of the Grand Armee”- were made official on February 17, 1806, and an imperial decree went forth that there would be the “erection of a triumphal arch at the entry to the boulevard by the site of the former Bastille prison that upon entering the Saint-Antoine district, one would pass through this “triumphal arc.” (www.arcdetriompheparis.com). Napoleon I was certainly one for pompous grandeur, and the entire construction of the arc was filled with self-glory and honor of the empire that he had built- even the first stone was laid to coincide with his birthday. Unfortunately, due to the revolutionary nature of the French and the discontent with every monarch or leader that they have ever had, the building of the Arc passed through the hands of several reigns/administrations before it was officially finished during the reign of King Louis-Philippe in 1836 (Britannica.com). The arc is laden with significance, and is something that the parisiens are very proud of. The inside of the walls of the monument lists the names of 558 French generals with the names of those who died in battle being underlined, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI rests beneath the Arc.
The day that we went to the Arc de Triomphe was beautiful. It was a cold, clear day late in November, and we arrived just as the sky was beginning to fade into the beautiful pink and orange hues of sunset. The Arc is a lot bigger than it appears in photos, and we were stunned by the grandeur and the enormity of the arch. After reading about the Arc, I think the biggest thing that surprised me was how big it was and how detailed and stunningly designed it was. It is by far one the most beautifully carved monuments here in Paris. There were many tourists there that day, we decided against climbing the 15 flight of stairs with the hordes, and decided just to stand at the edge of the traffic circle and view if from afar. It is truly a beautiful monument, and something that should be on every Paris “must see” list.