Arc de Triomphe Facts | Your guide to the Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806. It is a mark of France’s great history and a tribute to the people who fought and died for the country in the French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic War. The astylar design structure is located right in the middle of the 12-lane Arc de Triomphe roundabout, which is one of the busiest in Paris. The iconic monument has a footfall of over 1.5 million on an average every year, making it one of the most visited landmarks in France.

Arc de Triomphe Facts

1. The Arc de Triomphe Paris is 162 feet tall and 150 feet wide.
2. The Arc de Triomphe was the biggest arch in the world until North Korean dictator Kim Il Sung built a bigger arch inspired by it in 1922. 
3. The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon I to commemorate the victory of France in the Battle of Austerlitz. 
4. While Napoleon I commissioned the construction of the monument, he couldn’t see the completed arch, as he passed away in the year 1821, nearly 15 years before it was completed. 
5. Napoleon had a wooden replica of the Arc constructed where he tied the knot with his wife Marie-Louise. 
6. It took 30 years to build the Arc de Triomphe. 
7. The Arc de Triomphe is made of limestone. 
8. You need to climb 284 steep steps to reach the top of the Arc de Triomphe. 
9. The design of the Arc de Triomphe Paris is inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome. 
10. The Eternal Flame at the monument has been burning for close to 100 years. 
11. The walls of the monument list the names of all the French battles and victories, and the generals who fought and died in the wars. 
12. Two assassination attempts have taken place in the monument - One on Charles de Gaulle (1962) and one on Jaques Chirac (2002). Both of them survived.
13. Both the French army and German army marched past the Arc de Triomphe during World Wars I and II. 
14. French aviator Charles Godefroy, flew his fighter jet through the archway to honor the pilots who sacrificed their lives during World War I.