A wooden arch for a wedding
When Napoleon married Marie-Louise in 1810, the arch had barely started. A full-size mock-up in wood and painted canvas was put up so the wedding procession could pass under it.
Urban Tales › Paris › Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe: the history, and the arch Napoleon never saw finished
Napoleon ordered the arch after Austerlitz in 1806 and never saw it finished. Today the Unknown Soldier lies beneath it, and a flame is rekindled there every evening. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Ordered1806
Finished1836
Height50 m
Flame since1923
Hear the Arc de Triomphe story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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Hundreds of names
The inner walls carry the names of 128 battles and 660 officers of the Revolution and the Empire, most of them generals. Names that are underlined belong to men who died in battle.
3
The flame relit every evening
The Unknown Soldier from the First World War was buried under the arch in 1921. Since 1923 veterans' associations have rekindled the flame every evening at 6.30 pm, without missing a day, even during the German occupation.
TipUse the underground passage from the Champs-Élysées, never the roundabout, and be there at 6.30 pm for the rekindling of the flame. With Urban Tales running, the arch's story plays as you come up the stairs.
Nearby landmarks
Arc de Triomphe: common questions
Who built the Arc de Triomphe?
Napoleon ordered it in 1806; it was designed by Jean Chalgrin and finished in 1836 under King Louis-Philippe.
What is under the Arc de Triomphe?
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War, with an eternal flame rekindled every evening at 6.30 pm.
Can you go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe?
Yes, there's a terrace at the top reached by 284 steps, with a ticket.