The Arc de Triomphe — History from Napoleon to Today
Commissioned 1806, completed 1836, eternal flame since 1923. The Arc's 220-year history shaped by every major chapter of modern French history.
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories. He never saw it completed — construction ran 30 years and was inaugurated in 1836, long after his exile and death. The monument has since been involved in every major chapter of French national life: Victor Hugo's funeral procession (1885), the Allied liberation parade (1944), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (1920), the eternal flame (1923), and the annual 14 July military parade. This guide is a clear factual timeline.
1806-1836 — commissioning to completion
Napoleon commissioned the Arc on 18 February 1806, after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz (December 1805). The chosen site was the Place de l'Étoile (now Place Charles-de-Gaulle) — at the time the western edge of Paris, on a small hill at the meeting of major roads. Architect Jean-François Chalgrin designed a triumphal arch on the model of the Arch of Titus in Rome, but larger — 50 metres high, 45 metres wide.
Construction began in 1806 but progress was slow. Napoleon's fall in 1814-1815 halted work for nearly a decade. The Bourbon Restoration restarted construction in the 1820s, but it was Louis-Philippe who completed and inaugurated the Arc on 29 July 1836 — exactly 30 years after Napoleon's commissioning. Napoleon himself had died in 1821 on Saint Helena; his body was not returned to Paris until 1840, when it passed under the now-completed Arc on its way to Les Invalides.
1840-1920 — the symbolic French monument
Napoleon's funeral procession passed under the Arc on 15 December 1840 — the symbolic act that transformed the monument from a Napoleonic triumph into a broader French national symbol. Victor Hugo's funeral procession in 1885 was the next great state event under the Arc — the writer's coffin lay in state under the arch for a full night, attended by a million Parisians.
The 1885 ceremony established the Arc as the place for French national commemoration. The First World War (1914-1918) brought the next chapter — France lost 1.4 million dead, more than any other Allied power proportionally. After the Armistice the question of where to bury the symbolic 'unknown soldier' was settled: he would lie beneath the Arc de Triomphe.
1920-1923 — the Tomb and the eternal flame
On 11 November 1920 (the second anniversary of the Armistice), the body of an unknown French soldier from the Western Front was buried beneath the Arc de Triomphe. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Tombe du Soldat Inconnu) was the first such memorial in Europe; Britain's followed days later at Westminster Abbey. The intention was to honour all the French war dead through this single unidentified soldier.
On 11 November 1923, the eternal flame (Flamme du Souvenir) was lit above the tomb. It has burned continuously ever since — including through the German occupation of Paris (1940-1944), when the flame was tended by the occupiers. The flame has been kept alive for over 100 years; the rekindling ceremony every evening at 18:30 has happened daily without interruption.
1944 to today
On 26 August 1944, the day after the Liberation of Paris, General de Gaulle led the French Forces of the Interior in a procession down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Hôtel de Ville. The march symbolised the restoration of French sovereignty after four years of German occupation. The Arc was the chosen starting point — the most-charged symbol of French national identity.
Since then the Arc has been the central setting for French national ceremonies. The annual 14 July (Bastille Day) military parade originates here. The President places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Armistice Day (11 November), VE Day (8 May), and other state occasions. The Arc was wrapped in fabric by the artist Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 2021 — a posthumous realisation of their 1962 vision, called 'L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped'. The temporary installation drew 6 million visitors over 16 days.
Frequently asked
Who built the Arc de Triomphe?
Napoleon commissioned it in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Architect Jean-François Chalgrin designed it on the model of the Arch of Titus in Rome. Construction ran 30 years; the Arc was completed and inaugurated by Louis-Philippe in 1836.
How tall is the Arc de Triomphe?
50 metres tall (164 feet), 45 metres wide. The upper platform is at about 50 metres above the ground. 284 steps from the central area to the platform; a lift is also available.
When was the eternal flame lit?
11 November 1923, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc. The flame has burned continuously ever since — through World War II, the German occupation, and 100+ years of French history. It is rekindled every evening at 18:30 in a brief ceremony.
Why was Christo's wrapping of the Arc in 2021 significant?
It was the posthumous realisation of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1962 vision — to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in fabric. Both artists had died before the project could be realised; the 2021 installation by their estate fulfilled the original concept. The wrapping ran 16 days and drew 6 million visitors.
Did Napoleon ever see the Arc completed?
No — Napoleon commissioned the Arc in 1806 but died on Saint Helena in 1821, 15 years before it was completed. His funeral procession passed under the completed Arc on 15 December 1840 when his body was returned to Paris and interred at Les Invalides.
Who is buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
An unidentified French soldier from the Western Front of World War I, chosen by the French government and buried beneath the Arc on 11 November 1920. He represents all the French servicemen who died in WWI (about 1.4 million dead) and, by extension, all French war dead.