Victor Hugo, a famous French writer and poet, had his body lie in state under the Arc de Triomphe on May 22, 1885. He was a key figure in French literature and a prominent political activist, known for works like "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame."

== == The closest RER station is Chatelet-Les Halles; the closest train depot would be Gare d'Austerlitz or Gare de Lyon. The closest metro stop is Palais Royal.

Everyday at 18:30, the Eternal Flame at the foot of the Arc, Champs-Elysées side, is rekindled. There is the Tomb of the unknown soldier (French: le tombeau du Soldat Inconnu). A comittee is in charge of the Flame, which might be rekindled by vets, but also by schoolchildren, associations, etc...

Tha ceremony was held even under German occupation during WWII.

The arc cost 1,000,000 francs (1 million) to build.

Yes, but only minor repairs. It was damaged by gunfire during WWII, and more recently had its stone inspected and cleaned from pollution.

Technical work has also been conducted to reinforce the foundations, by filling hollow spaces with liquid concretes, and counter forces in the upper parts of the building. The repairs are not noticeable to the public.

The Arc de Triomphe was orginally intended as a tribute to Napoleon's army. When it was completed years later, it was more broadly, meant to honor French armies of the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. It also has an additional meaning as a war memorial, as the tomb of the unknown soldier is located between its feet since just after WWI.
Today people will think of it also as a large monument and formidable Parisian landmark, with a commanding view over the Louvre palace or the Eiffel tower.

In the arc de triomphe there are exactly 284 steps to climb to the top, or you could use the elevator.

There are lots of triumphal arches in the world. There are four of them in Paris alone: the Arc de Triomphe [de l'étoile] up the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de triomphe du Carrousel (in the Louvre courtyard), the Porte Saint-Denis, the Porte Saint-Martin.

it took 400.5 people to build the Arc de Triomphe

They are both French-built. They are both French-built in Paris, France (even though Liberty was unbolted and shipped in crates to its final location). Both are commemorative monuments. Both are tall, but smaller than the Great Pyramid.

It was build on order of Napoleon, it represented French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in chain mail, with triumphant nationalistic messages.
It was commissioned in 1806 to commemorate the victory of the Battle of Austerlitz when Napoleon defeated the Russo-Austrian army

You sure can and the cost is included in the Paris Museum Pass or it's about $9 American. The Arch is open until 5:30 p.m. most days and until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays. One final note: You will be climbing stairs, so you may want to do this in the morning.

The flame was meant to honor the tomb of the unknown soldier, as a symbol of all the soldiers who lost their lives for the defence of France. It was first lit on November 11th, 1923, and a ceremony was held everyday since then, even when Paris was occupied during WWII. Students and popular demonstrations were held on the 11 of November during WWII, in defiance of the German army and the ceremony gained then a patriotic undertone.

The ceremony is held everyday at 18:30.

Yes, the Arc is on the World Heritage liste. It has been included in the special listing which regroups most of Paris' historical monuments.

- Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the Arc de Triomphe to commemorate and honor his victories.

- The construction of the Arc de Triomphe started in 1806. It was halted at the fall of Napoleon, and resumed in 1830 after Napoleon's death, under King Louis-Philippe, to be completed in 1836.

- The Arc de Triomphe was designed by Jean Chalgrin. The design was based upon the Arc of Titus in Rome.

- The Arc de Triomphe includes the Grave of the Unknown Soldier from World War 1. The Eternal Flame burning there represents and honors all who died during the World Wars. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the two places where every head of state, visiting France for a State visit, is supposed to stop (the other one being the Elysee Palace).

- There are 234 steps to climb up to reach to the top (there are elevators as well, don't worry)

- The arch is located in the middle of Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, France.

- The Champs-Elysees avenue leads up to the Arc. It is one of the 12 avenues radiating from the Arc.

- It is engraved with generals' names who commanded in Napoleon's army during his reign over France.

- On the top, there are thirty shields with the names of Napoleon's most successful battles.

- To build the arch, it cost 9.3 millions of Francs, which was a lot of money at that time.

- It is the second largest triumphal arc in the world today.

- The Arc de Triomphe is 51m tall, 4.5m wide and 22m deep.

- The Arc is made of white limestone. It weighs nearly 100,000 tonnes (metric tons in US English)

- From the top you have a view of La Defense, the Sacre-Coeur basilica, The Eiffel Tower and many Parisian landmarks and monuments.

- On July 14th, a parade begins at the Arc de Triomphe. (France's Independence Day)

- The four supporting columns have the names of the major battles of the Napoleonic Wars.

- The sculpture by Rude, on the right pillar when looking from the Champs Elysees, is called "the departure of the volunteers". Nickamed "la Marseillaise" (as the French national anthem), it is as famous to the French as the Eiffel tower.

Are you serious? It's in Europe; more specifically it is in Paris, France :) It was constructed by Napoleon I believe and it contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I would recommend visiting it if possible. If you purchase a Paris Museum Pass (which you can find by Google searching it) you can cut the line and climb to the top for free (minus the price of the pass). The pass also allows you to visit many other locations for a great price!

For more information and history, follow link:

Number 30. Leave the Gare du Nord by the main entrance on Rue de Dunkerque; turn right, and walk to the big junction with Boulevard Magenta - a place where eight streets meet. Take the 3nd right, Boulevard de Magenta. The first bus stop you come to is the one you need. The No. 30 goes to Trocadéro, the square outside the Palais de Chaillot. Go between the wings of the Palais and goggle at one of the world's most famous views.

Yes, the Arc is open to the public. You visit the inside of the building where there is a small museum explaining the construction and history, and you can access the platform roof to enjoy the view. You can also freely under the arc.

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is located in the centre of "Place Charles de Gaulle" (named after a former French president), also known under its former name "Place de l'Étoile", at the upper, western end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. La place de l'étoile ("star square") was named this because of the 5 avenues (now 12) which joined there.