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Arc de Triomphe,Paris ( France )
While in Paris, we passed along the Arc de Triomphe many times. It looks like India Gate( New Delhi ), a monument raised to commemorate the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during World War I. In physical appearance, both the structures( India Gate and Arc de Triomphe ) have gates in the shape of arcs. Even the cornices of the two look similar. A noteworthy difference is that, for India Gate, 'INDIA' is written in bold on top of the arch.
When I tried to know what it is and why it was raised, I became familiar with many pages of French history especially the Napoleonic Wars and the history of the National Anthem of France.
Located in the eighth arrondissement( district ) of Paris, Arc de Triomphe is at the centre of a huge roundabout at the western stretch of the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées ( now a fashionable area ). Admittedly, the Champs-Élysées is one of the loveliest avenues in the world, but it was once a murky swamp used by butchers and tanners for their waste. The Avenue des Champs Elysees runs westward from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Looking west from Place de la Concorde, one can easily see the Arc de Triomphe which is 2.2 km away. The Arc de Triomphe sits in a circular plaza from which 12 grand avenues radiate, forming a star (étoile), which is why it is also called, 'Arc de Triomphe de Etoile ', each bearing the names of illustrious French military leaders: Foch, Marceau, Hoche or Kléber. It is one of the most challenging roundabouts for motorists to drive around.
After 30 years of work and a cost of 9.3 million francs (which amounts to €8,600,000), the Arc de Triomphe was finally inaugurated on July 29, 1836. It stands 164 feet high,148 feet wide, 73 feet deep, and rests on a foundation that extends 27 feet below ground. The Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world. In its simplest form, the Arc consists of four semicircular arches supported by massive masonry pillars, in turn, supported by pedestals, and surmounted by an entablature and a vaulted attic. The columns, which in most other structures have a purely decorative role, here have a supporting role.
The title of the world’s tallest arch was snatched from the Arc de Triomphe with the building of Mexico’s Monumento a la Revolución, the world’s tallest arch, and the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang which is the world’s second tallest arch.
The Arc de Triomphe is easily accessible from the Charles de Gaulle–Étoile stop on metro lines 1, 2, and 6 and RER line A. The nearest Metro stop is Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, on Metro line 1. This station is located right underneath the Arc de Triomphe, which means you can come out of the station and enjoy the monument right away.
The Arc de Triomphe has a rich history that dates back to Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign. In 1805, when Napoleon’s forces won a decisive victory over Russian and Austrian troops, he decided to celebrate it by ordering the construction of an arch. He engaged the then-French architect Jean Chalgrin for designing it. The construction of the arch was started in 1806 on Napoleon's birthday. The architect based the design on the style of the Arch of Titus in Rome. It took 30 years to complete the arch. Napoleon never saw the monument completed. During the Napoleonic Wars, the construction was stopped and only resumed in the reign of Louis-Philippe in the 1830s. Although Napoleon didn't see his completed triumphal arch, he did pass through it differently. When his body was returned to France in 1840 (he died on the island of Saint Helena in 1821), it was brought to Les Invalides and passed under the Arc de Triomphe on the way there.
One can reach the top of the arch by a well-designed circular staircase that has 284 steps or by a lift which allows access to the attic room. The lift is available on demand for the needy or elderly. From this level, one needs to climb 46 more steps to reach the terrace. The stairs are circular/spiral and very narrow. It would be advisable to go at a time when there might be fewer people. However, when you climb, there are also some small bays where you can stand aside and have a break.
The circular staircase takes you to a spacious chamber where you find some commemorations, decorations, toilets, a small museum room and a gift shop. It is surprising to see the arch so spacious inside. From the top terrace, one can have a commanding view of the city. There is an observation deck at the top, wherefrom one can spot prominent monuments and spots in the city like the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, La Defense, and more. It even has a gorgeous view of Montmartre, with Sacré Coeur standing tall in the distance. We could also see the Louvre Museum and also the rooftops of the Paris City Hall, the Saint-Jacques Tower and Notre Dame.
Visitors can explore the ground floor without paying the $13 entry fee, but those who wish to enter the arch and/or climb its 284 steps to the top observation deck need to pay the fee.
One can visit the ground level of the arch for free. You only have to pay if you want to visit the interior of the Arc de Triomphe, its museum and its terrace. Under its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War. It remembers the soldiers killed in the war who were never identified. Since 1923, the flame has been rekindled every evening at 6.30 pm by associations of war veterans. One can access this area and pass under the Arc de Triomphe, admire the splendid sculptures of the facade for free and without having to buy a ticket for it.
The Arc de Triomphe is closed on January 1st, May 1st, May 8 (morning), July 14 (morning), November 11 (morning) and December 25 for reasons of national holidays. Due to official ceremonies or adverse weather conditions, the Arc de Triomphe may also be partially or completely closed on an exceptional basis.
The base of the arch is decorated with four groups of elaborate bas reliefs or allegorical sculptures; the most famous of these is Francois Rude's "La Marseillaise," which shows the iconic French woman, "Marianne," or Liberty urging the people to battle. Some sculptures also describe scenes from the Napoleonic Wars. The four high-reliefs at the base of the Arc de Triomphe are:-
(1). ‘The Triumph’ (Cortot, 1810),
(2). Resistance,
(3). Peace (both by Antoine Étex) and,
(4). La Marseillaise or the ‘Departure of the Volunteers‘ (1792) by François Rude
La Marseillaise
I need to say something about La Marseillaise. This sculptural group showing the departure of citizens to defend the nation is probably the most renowned and is also known as ‘La Marseillaise’. The Amazon-type character charging forward with a sword symbolises the Revolution. One can see the harsh expression on her face contorted in a fierce rallying
cry. The subject of Rude's La Marseillaise (The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792) commemorates the Battle of Valmy when the French defended the Republic against an attack from the Austro-Prussian army. The popular title for the work, La Marseillaise, is the name of the French national anthem, which was written in 1792 by the army officer Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle as part of a recruitment campaign. It was sung by a young volunteer, later to become a general under Napoleon, at a patriotic gathering in Marseille, the city from which the song gets its name, and was subsequently adopted as the army’s rallying cry.
Today, the Arc de Triomphe is more of a symbol of peace, though, rather than war, commemorating the end of World War II. Every year, a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, buried below the arch, marks the anniversary of the armistice signed on Nov. 11, 1918. The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. A few weeks after the end of WWI, Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport fighter plane through the Arch to salute all the airmen killed in the war. It was captured on film, which is available on YouTube.
Napolean once said to his soldiers:-
“When you come back home, it will be through these triumphal arches”.
( Avtar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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