10 Quick Insights About the Arc de Triomphe

On July 29, 1836—three decades after Napoleon initially commissioned it—Paris marked the grand opening of the Arc de Triomphe. Discover some of the fascinating tales embedded within the walls of this iconic architectural masterpiece.

1. BEFORE THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE, THE SITE WAS NEARLY HOME TO A COLOSSAL ELEPHANT.

Before Napoleon's time, architect Charles Ribart envisioned a three-story elephant-shaped structure, complete with a spiral staircase leading into its belly. The design featured foldable furniture and a drainage system running through the elephant's trunk. Despite Ribart's readiness to begin construction, the French government rejected his proposal for the enormous creature.

2. NAPOLEON ORDERED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARC IN 1806, SHORTLY AFTER HIS TRIUMPH AT AUSTERLITZ.

The Arc de Triomphe took three decades to complete, and its intricate design explains why. The base of each of the four pillars features relief sculptures depicting four victories and battle scenes, while the top of the arch displays the names of significant triumphs during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras. Lesser victories are inscribed on the inner walls, along with the names of 558 generals, with underlined names indicating those who fell in combat.

3. NAPOLEON NEVER WITNESSED THE COMPLETED MONUMENT.

The Arc de Triomphe was finished in 1836, 15 years after Napoleon's passing, so he never saw the final result. For his marriage to Marie Louise of Austria, a wooden replica of the Arc was crafted, allowing the couple to symbolically pass through it as they entered Paris. (Her reaction remains a mystery.)

When Napoleon stepped down in 1814, work on the Arc de Triomphe halted for several years. It picked up again in 1826. Though Napoleon had been deceased for nearly two decades, he symbolically passed through the finished Arc in 1840—when his remains were transferred to their final burial site.

4. IT HOLDS THE TITLE OF THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST TRIUMPHAL ARCH.

Standing at 164 feet tall and 148 feet wide, it ranks as the second-largest triumphal arch in existence today. It held the top spot until 1982, when North Korea revealed its Arch of Triumph. (In case you're curious, there are numerous triumphal arches worldwide.)

5. CHARLES GODEFROY PILOTED HIS PLANE THROUGH THE ARCH. 

Shortly after WWI concluded, Charles Godefroy maneuvered his Nieuport fighter plane through the Arch to honor fallen airmen. The daring feat was captured on film, and naturally, it can now be viewed on YouTube (see above).

6. AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER WAS BURIED BENEATH IT.

Like many nations, France honors its fallen with a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located beneath the Arc de Triomphe. Since November 10, 1920, the Unknown Soldier has rested there under the inscription, "Here lies a French soldier who died for his country 1914-1918." An eternal flame was ignited to commemorate those lost in the war. In 1961, John and Jackie Kennedy visited the Tomb, inspiring Jackie to create a similar eternal flame for her husband after his assassination in 1963.

7. THE MARSEILLAISE RELIEF FACED A MINOR ISSUE IN 1916.

Legend has it that on February 21, 1916, the day the Battle of Verdun—a fierce WWI clash between France and Germany—began, the sword held by the warrior symbolizing France on the Arc suddenly broke off. Authorities quickly covered it with tarps to prevent public panic, as it could have been seen as a bad omen. Tragically, the battle resulted in the destruction of nine French villages, over 250,000 deaths, and at least 500,000 injuries.

8. IT HAS WITNESSED AT LEAST TWO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS.

Charles De Gaulle narrowly avoided an assassination attempt at the Arc de Triomphe during his presidency (having survived over 30 such attempts, he likely remained unshaken). Similarly, in 2002, Jacques Chirac was targeted at the same site. While reviewing troops in an open-top Jeep on Bastille Day, a gunman fired a shot from a hunting rifle concealed in a guitar case, but missed before being subdued by police.

9. IT HAS ALSO WITNESSED ITS SHARE OF DEFEATS.

While the Arc symbolizes France's triumphs, it has also been a backdrop for significant losses: German forces marched beneath it in 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War, and Nazis repeated the act during their occupation of Paris in WWII.

10. MAINTAINING IT IS NO SIMPLE TASK.

Conducting a thorough cleaning of the monument is a challenging endeavor. The last comprehensive cleaning took place in 2011, marking the first such effort in nearly five decades.