L’arc de Triomphe is one of the most iconic structures in the city of Paris and attracts millions of visitors each year. Aside from the obvious fact that the structure of L’arc de Triomphe is so huge, the other main draw to it is the history and the significant that it has seen over the years.
When the Emperor Napoleon returned victorious from the battle at Austerlitz in 1806, he commissioned work to begin on the arc as a tribute to the event, and indeed the arc went on to become a memorial for members of the French army who died in battle over the years. After taking two years to lay the foundations of the arc it was not long before the now famous structure began to take shape. The first time the residents of Paris were actually given a clue as to what the completed structure would look like when Napoleon had a wooden version erected for his wedding day in 1810, but it was during king Loiuse-Phillippe was on the throne towards the middle of the 19th century that the arc made real progress.
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Many of the most significant battles and wars in which the French have participated since the arc was erected are now commemorated in or on the arc, including the famous tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an unnamed soldier who died in the First World War, whose remains are in a coffin in the chapel within the arc.
The arc has been the backdrop for many famous marches through Paris, including the notorious German invasion parade which was mirrored by the allies when they reclaimed the country.
