Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

About

The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, or Triumphal Arch of the Carousel, stands at the eastern terminus of Paris’s historic Axe‑historique in the 1st arrondissement. Built between 1806 and 1808 under Emperor Napoléon I, the monument was conceived as the gateway to the Tuileries Palace and modeled after Rome’s Arch of Septimius Severus. Its neoclassical columns of pink marble—reclaimed from the ruined Château de Meudon—are topped with bronze sculptures of soldiers, while the superb bas‑reliefs on the pediment chronicle key battles such as Austerlitz and the Tilsit Conference. The 19‑metre arch traces a third‑order Corinthian design, flanked by two smaller arches that echo its grandeur. Visitors to Paris can stroll beneath the arch’s lofty quadriga, a faithful copy of the Horses of Saint‑Mark, and admire the monument’s elaborate iconography that celebrates Napoleon’s triumphs across Europe. The arch remains a popular, free‑access landmark that offers a quiet, intimate glimpse into the artistic and political ambitions of early 19th‑century France.