Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, originally the grand entrance to the courtyard of the Tuileries Palace, is a reproduction of the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome. It was built in 1806-08 (architects Percier and Fontaine) to commemorate Napoleon's victories. The imposing chariot which crowns the arch was the work of F.- J. Bosio (1828). With the destruction of the Tuileries the arch lost its function as the entrance to the palace, and it now looks rather isolated. "Carrousel" was the name of the equestrian games in a medieval tournament, and the square is named after the carrousel held during the celebrations in honor of the birth of the Dauphin, Louis XIV's son, in 1662.

Be sure to stand directly beneath the arch to see the magnificent view along the axis that runs from the Louvre through the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue de la Grande Armée. You should be able to see as far as La Défense.