Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

The construction of the Arc was decided by Napoléon the 1st in order to dominate the prospect of the Avenue of Champs Elysées. The Arc de Triomphe is a Roman invention. The first Roman arcs were located at the entries of the cities. The Roman soldiers who returned in their cities after a military campaign had to deposit their weapons and to pass under the arc. By doing this, they were symbolically reinstated as normal citizens. The Arc de Triomphe, which was at the beginning a tool of pacification and social cohesion, became a mean to glorify victories of armies. For this reason Napoléon built this arc. The construction of the Arc de Triomphe lasted 30 years, from 1805 to 1835.