Arc de Triomphe
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The Arc de Triomphe, the world's largest triumphal arch, forms the backdrop for an impressive urban ensemble in Paris. The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly the Place de l'Étoile,
a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It is the climax of a vista seen the length of the Champs Élysées from
the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.
In 1806, Napoleon I conceived of a triumphal arch patterned after those of ancient Rome and dedicated to the glory of his
imperial armies. The structure was designed by Jean François Thérèse Chalgrin (1739–1811) and completed in 1836 during the reign of Louis Philippe. Its deceptively simple design and immense size, 49.5
m (162 ft) in height, mark it unmistakably as a product of late 18th-century romantic neoclassicism. The arch also serves as a reminder that Chalgrin was a pupil of Étienne Louis Boullée, the father of visionary architecture. The most famous of its sculptural reliefs is La Marseillaise (1833–36) of François Rude. Specific historic
associations notwithstanding, the arch has become an emblem of French patriotism. Since 1920 it has sheltered the tomb of
France's Unknown Soldier.
Robert M. Neuman
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