The construction of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was ordered in 1806 by Napoleon, the French Emperor.
Napoleon wanted to honor the Grande Armee, the name of the French army at that time.
The Grande Armee had conquered most of Europe and was then considered invincible.
After his Austerlitz victory in 1805, Napoleon said to his soldiers: "You will return home through arcs of triumph".
The construction had been stopped between 1814 (abdication of Napoleon) and 1826.
The Arc de Triomphe cost 9.3 million French francs, a gigantic amount of money at that time.
The names of 128 battles of the first French Republic and Napoleon's Empire are written on the white walls under the vault together with the names of the generals who took part in them.
The construction of Arc de Triomphe was completed in 1836, long after Napoleon's death in 1821.
Fun Facts
The Tomb of the Unknown Solider is to represent 1,500,000 French soldiers who died in World War One.
Only family members of the fallen soldiers rekindle the Flame of Remembrance every day at 6 pm.
The arches are so wide that a small plane can be flown through them.
There are 284 steps from the ground level to the top of the arc.
There are four supports that are engraved with the names of the four main Napoleonic wars.
The arch is a replica of the Triumphal Arches of Rome.
Napoleon himself wished for the arch to be built before he and his new bride, Marie- Louise reached France but since it was not finished in time he ordered a wooden model be built for when they entered the city.