The Arc de Triomphe is perhaps the most iconic of all French monuments. It is at once instantly recognisable and
deeply evocative of the military glories and follies of France.
Napoleon ordered its construction in 1809 to celebrate the triumph of the Republican armies. However, it was soon after that his empire began to collapse, and the Arc was not completed until 1836. The Arc de Triomphe is decorated with friezes of battle scenes and carved with the names of Napoleon's victories.
Underneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, a touching tribute to soldiers who died in both world wars.
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