Monuments

Arc de Triomphe

Monument built to the glory of the French army inaugurated on 30th July 1836. Panoramic view from the top, museum linked to the history of the monument. It was commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon to commemorate his imperial victories but remained unfinished when he started losing. It was finally completed in 1836. Some of the architects were Chalgrin 1806-1811, Joust 1811-1814, Blouet 1833-1836. Sculptors who contributed were Cortot, Rude, Etex, Pradier and Lemaire among others.

Eiffel Tower

The most famous monument in the world (317 metres, 10,100 tonnes). Built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition of which it was the star. At 300 metres (320.75m including antenna), and 7000 tons, it was the world's tallest building until 1930. It took 300 steel workers 2 years to construct it.

It was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna - used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature.

The tower has three platforms. A restaurant (extremely expensive; reservations absolutely necessary), the Jules Verne is on the second platform. The top platform has a bar, souvenir shop, and the (recently restored) office of Gustave Eiffel. From its platforms - especially the topmost - the view upon Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best.

During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed a few strange scenes, including being scaled by a mountaineer in 1954, and parachuted off of in 1984 by two Englishmen. In 1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some accounts say he rode down the stairs, other accounts suggest the exterior of one of the tower's four legs which slope outward.

Panthéon

Masterpiece by Soufflot (1713-1780). The Panthéon, since the French Revolution, is the necropolis of great French men. 61 "great men" lie there namely Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Zola, Jaurès, Moulin. It was commissioned around 1750 as an abbey church but wasn't completed until 1789. Later it was converted into a secular mausoleum for thegreat men of the era of French liberty, removing all Christian symbols and references. The first woman to be interred in the Panthéon in recognition of her own achievements was the double Nobel Prize-winner Marie Curie (1867- 1934), who was reburied here (along with her husband Pierre) in 1995.

Place de la Concorde

At 8 hectares, the octagonal Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris. It is situated between the Tuileries and the Champs-Elysées. In 1763, a large statue of king Louis XV was erected at the site to celebrate the recovery of the king after a serious illness. In 1792, during the French revolution, the statue was replaced by a another, large statue, called 'Liberté' (freedom) and the square was called place de la Révolution. A guillotine was installed at the center of the square and in a time span of only a couple of years, 1119 people were beheaded here. Amongst them many famous people like King Louis XVI, Marie-Antionette, and revolutionary Robespierre, just to name a few. After the revolution the square was renamed several times until 1830, when it was given the current name 'Place de la Concorde'.

In the 19th century the 3200 years old obelisk from the temple of Ramses II at Thebes was installed at the center of the Place de la Concorde. It is a 23 meters tall monolith in pink granite and weighs approximately 230 tons. At each corner of the octagonal square is a statue representing a French city: Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Strasbourg.

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