The Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile, is the worlds largest triumphal arch. It forms the backdrop for an remarkable urban collection in Paris. The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It is the pinnacle of a vista seen the length of the Champs Elyses from the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Tuileries gardens, and from the Oblisque de Luxor in the place de la Concorde.
Since 1920, the tomb of Frances Unknown Soldier has been sheltered underneath the arch. Its eternal flame memorializes the dead of the two world wars, and is rekindled every evening at 6:30. On every Armistice Day, the President of the Republic lays a ceremonial wreath on the tomb. On July 14, the French National Day, a military parade begins at the arch and proceeds down the Champs Elyses. For main occasions of state, and on national holidays, a huge French tricolor is unfurled and hung from the vaulted ceiling inside of the Arch. The last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race also finishes here on the third or fourth Sunday in July.
At the bases of the Arcs pillars are four huge relief sculptures, commemorating...