Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe sits at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, distinguished by its immense size and the detailed relief sculptures covering its stone pillars. Commissioned by Napoleon in eighteen oh six, the arch honors those who fought and died for France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Beneath the vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, added after the First World War. Victor Hugo’s funeral procession passed under this arch in eighteen eighty-five, draped in black.