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The construction of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was ordered
in 1806 by Napoléon, the French emperor, to honor the Grande Armée, the then invicible
Napoléon's army. After his Austerlitz victory in 1805, Napoléon said to his soldiers
: "You will return home through archs of triumph".
The construction was completed in 1836 after Napoléon's
death in 1821 (right, the Arc de Triomphe during nineteen century). It had been stopped between 1814 (abdication of Napoleon) and 1826. The
Arc de Triomphe costed 9.3 millions french francs, a gigantic amount of money
at that
time.
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The names of 128 battles of the
Republic and Napoléon Empire are written on the white walls under the vault
together with the names of the generals who took part in them.
On November 11th 1920, the body of an unknown soldier was
buried under the Arc de Triomphe. He symbolises the 1 500 000 soldiers who died
during World War One.
Since 1923, the Flame of Remembrance on the tomb of the
unknown soldier has been symbolically rekindled everyday at 6pm by war veterans and
soldiers.
Other great Paris
monuments
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