| The Arc de Triomphe is a
monument in Paris that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle,
formerly the Place de l'Étoile, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
It is the linchpin of the historic axis (L'Axe historique) leading from
the courtyard of the Louvre Palace, a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares
on a route leading out of Paris. The monument was designed by Jean Chalgrin,
1806; its iconographic program pitted heroically nude French youths against
bearded Germanic warriors in chainmail and set the tone for public monuments
with triumphant nationalistic messages until World War I. The monument
stands over 51 meters (165 feet) in height and is 45 meters wide. It is
the second largest triumphal arch in existence. Its design was inspired
by the Roman Arch of Titus. |
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