Arc de Triomphe

On the inside walls of the Arc are engraved the names of the decivive battles, and of the officers, of the wars fought by the French armies under the revolution and the fist Empire.

660 officer names and 128 battles are engraved. The underlined names are those of officers who died in action.

No, there is no parabola shape on the arc. The legs are parallel lines connecting to the arch which is an half-circle.

An unknown, anonymous soldier of WWI is buried under the Arc. His corpse has been selected at random among eight unidentified French soldiers killed on the major battlefields of WWI. The Tomb is marked by an Eternal Flame as a tribute to all soldiers who lost their lives.

Yes, the Arc de Triomphe is located at the center of one of the busiest roundabouts in the world, known as Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, France. This roundabout connects multiple major roads and sees heavy traffic daily, making it notoriously challenging for drivers and pedestrians alike. The chaotic nature of the roundabout, combined with its historical significance, contributes to its reputation. However, traffic patterns can vary, so while it is among the busiest, specific rankings may differ.

Beneath the Arc de Triomphe lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which honors an unidentified French soldier who fell during World War I. The tomb, marked by a flame that is rekindled every evening, serves as a poignant tribute to all soldiers who died in combat for France. It symbolizes national remembrance and gratitude for their sacrifices.

You cannot get married in the Arc de Triomphe, no more than you could in Buckingham Palace or in the White House. You have to go to a town hall for getting married. But you are free to have your picture taken in front of it if you want to, assuming you don't disturb traffic or the Arc operations.

The Arc de Triomphe is on the right bank (northern side) of the River Seine. The closest point of the Seine river is 1.1 kilometre away.

There's a tunnel, luckily. Cross from the North side of the Champs-Elysées or the Avenue de la Grande Armée.

1,732,280 people visited the Arc in 2012. The Arc is closed on New Year, May 1st, Dec. 25 and during ceremonies involving the French President (May 8, July 14, Nov. 11). That gives an average of 4,820 people daily, making the Arc the 8th most visited Parisian monument for 2012.

The total number of visitors since the origin is ... well I was unable to find it, but it had tens of millions visitors, based on the annual visits (1.3 million in 2000, 1.5 million in 2010...)

The Arc de Triomphe is in Roman style, but was not built by the Romans.

rough

It is known that Lily Pons sang some notes of "La Marseillaise" on a New York stage in 1940. She sang it again at the invitation at the French government, in the Opéra Garnier (the Paris opera) at the liberation, and had to sing it again at the opera's balcony for the public in the street. Although this is perfectly possible, there is no indication that she sang "la Marseillaise" at the Arc.

The Arc de Triomphe offers a beautiful view of Paris that is less expensive and less crowded than the Eiffel Tower (but not as high).

You can get near the arc de triomphe by car. It is located up the Champs-Elysées avenue, on a very busy roundabout. If you visit there, just use public transport which will spare you the difficulty of parking.

Cars cannot go through the Arc. It sits on the middle of a large roundabout, and you have to go round when driving. There is a circle of one hundred stones protecting the centre, which is a pedestrian zone and host the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You can get there by foot using the pedestrian tunnel from the upper end of the Champs-Elysees or from the Avenue de la Grande Armée.

On the top of the Arc de Triomphe is a platform. You can get there to have a look to the Champs-Elysees, the avenues radiating from the arc, the Eiffel tower, the Sacré-Coeur basilica and other Parisian monuments.

The distance between the Arc and the Musée de l'Orangerie, in the Tuileries gardens is 2.5 km (1.6 mile). The route goes down the Champs-Elysees avenue and across the Place de la Concorde.

Yes, it is engraved on the Western pillar. It is not a reference to an individual, but to the siege of the Spanish town in early 1810.

The Gateway Arch was began in February of 1963 and was finished in October of 1965. The monument to Thomas Jefferson and other pioneers who viewed St. Louis as the gateway to the west wasn't fully open until 1968 when the south leg opened.

As far as I know, the eternal Flame at the Arc has never been extinguished. The rekindling of the flame took place even under German occupation in WWII.

There is no ceremony involving flying the flag just for the opening of the Arc, but huge flags are hung there around the celebrations for May 8th, July the 14th, and Nov. 11.