Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe stands at Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, terminating the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, the monument was designed by Jean‑François‑Thérèse Chalgrin and completed under Guillaume‑Abel Blouet in 1836 after several interruptions and successive architects. Inspired by ancient Roman triumphal arches, it features a single massive vault with sculpted reliefs and inscriptions commemorating French military campaigns and commanders. The structure anchors a star-shaped urban junction of radiating avenues and serves as a national memorial; the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War lies beneath its vault, with an eternal flame rekindled daily.