An arch to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz
The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel stands alone on a vast esplanade that delineates the Cour Napoléon in the Louvre Palace and the Tuileries garden.
This imposing triumphal arch commemorates Napoleon‘s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 and is a faithful replica of the Arch of Septimus Severius in Rome. It features six bas-reliefs illustrating Napoleon’s major victories.
The eight pink granite Corinthian columns adorning its two facades were reclaimed from the Château de Meudon, which was demolished during the French Revolution. Each column is surmounted by a statue of a soldier of the Napoleonic Empire, dressed in his regimental uniform.
A magnificent four-horse chariot, sculpted by Bosio, crowns the monument. The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is aligned with theArc de Triomphe, the Grande Arche de la Défense, and the equestrian statue of Louis XIV in the Cour Napoléon of the Louvre.
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the former Tuileries Palace’s entrance
Built between 1806 and 1808 by the architects Fontaine and Percier, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel originally served as the main entrance to the Tuileries Palace, whose construction was begun by the architect Philibert Delorme in the 1560s at the request of Queen Catherine de Medici.
This palace, however, was not completed until the 17th century and connected the Pavillon de Flore and the Pavillon de Marsan to the Louvre.
Unfortunately, it was burned down during the Commune de Paris in 1871, then demolished due to the extravagant nature of its reconstruction, and the Tuileries Garden was laid out on the site.
Directions: 1st District
Metro: Tuileries, Concorde, Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre on Line 1
Coordinates: Lat 48.861764 – Long 2.332846
