In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat superstructure or attic on which a statue might be mounted or which bears commemorative inscriptions. The structure should be decorated with carvings, notably including “Victories”, winged female figures (very similar to angels), a pair of which typically occupy the curved triangles beside the top of the arch curve. More elaborate triumphal arches have flanking subsidiary archways, typically a pair.

The triumphal arch in Paris is a very famous one. On the east and west fronts of the arch, which is 50m/164ft high and 45m/148ft wide, are four reliefs with over-lifesize figures depicting the departure, the victories and the glorious return of the French armies. Particularly notable is the relief by Fran?ois Rude (1784-1855) on the Champs-Elysées front, “Departure of the Volunteers of 1792″, also known as “The Marseillaise”, which depicts the troops setting out, led by the winged spirit of Liberty. On the inner surface of the arch are the names of over 660 generals and more than a hundred battles.Through a lift by way of an intermediate level, we can reach a viewing platform. From the viewing platform are panoramic views, among the most striking in Paris, along the 12 avenues which radiate from the Place de l’Etoile (now officially Place Charles-de-Gaulle): the straight line running from the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde and the Louvre; in the opposite direction the Grande Arche in the heart of La Défense; to the northeast Montmartre, with the Sacré-Coeur; and to the south the Eiffel Tower, the D?me des Invalides and the Tour Montparnasse. A small museum below the platform contains an exhibition illustrating the history of the Arc de Triomphe, mementos of Napoleon and relics of World War II.

The Triumphal Arch is also adviced to be included in a tourist’s travelling plan.