Carousel arch in Paris. Arc de Triomphe on Place Carrousel in Paris. Architectural ensemble of the square

Not everyone may know that the capital of France has as many as five triumphal arches. The most famous Arc de Triomphe is the one located on Place Charles de Gaulle. Two more are located on the same line with it: the Grand Arch of Defense in the business district of the city and the Arc de Triomphe on Place Carrousel, located between the famous Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. The arch is clearly visible from the southern wing of the Louvre - it is visible on the left. Looking at it, you can’t help but wonder: how did this majestic monument appear in Paris?

In the image and likeness of ancient Roman arches

Napoleon Bonaparte, who won the decisive battle against the armies of the Russian and Austrian empires near Austerlitz in Moravia in December 1805, decided to immortalize his brilliant victory for history. To this end, he ordered Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine to develop a project for a monumental structure that would simultaneously serve as the entrance gate to the Tuileries Palace, the residence of the emperor. The architects took the three-span Arch of Constantine in Rome, built in 315, as a model and set to work with enthusiasm. Construction lasted from 1807 to 1809, and as a result, a 19-meter three-span arch appeared to the admiring eyes of Parisians. The structure was crowned by the quadriga of St. Mark, taken from Venice, made of gilded bronze.

The triumphal arch on Place Carruzel, made in the Empire style, is very reminiscent of the triumphal arches of the ancient Roman era. It is decorated with eight columns of the Corinthian order - one of the three main architectural orders. The columns are made of white and red marble, on each of them there is a statue of a soldier of Napoleonic army. These are cuirassier, cavalry grenadier, dragoon, cavalryman, infantry grenadier, gunner, carabineer and sapper. Each warrior has his own uniform and... his own sculptor (the authors of the statues are, respectively, Tone, Shinar, Corbet, Foku, Dardel, Bridan, Mouton and Dumont). The bas-reliefs depict scenes of military battles. They were personally selected by Vivan Denon, director of the Napoleon I Museum in the Louvre (one of the departments of the modern Louvre Museum bears the name of this figure).

Bas-reliefs of Clodion and heraldry symbols

The author of the bas-reliefs with scenes of military battles is the French sculptor Clodion (real name Michel). They depict the battle of Austerlitz, already mentioned, Bonaparte's triumphal entry into Munich and Vienna, and the fall of Ulm, a city in Germany, into which the Emperor in 1805 lured the Austrian army under General Mack and forced it to surrender. In addition, the bas-reliefs immortalize the conclusion of the Peace of Presburg in 1805 between France and Austria, according to which Napoleon acquired a number of Italian lands, and the congress in Tilsit (now the city of Sovetsk in the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation). Here in 1807 a peace treaty was concluded between Napoleon I and Alexander I, according to which Russia recognized all of Bonaparte’s conquests.

The triumphal arch on Place Carruzel is also decorated with the heraldic symbols of the Kingdom of Italy (a state in Northern Italy during the time of Napoleon) and the Bonapartist French Empire itself. After France returned the quadriga of St. Mark that crowned the arch to Venice in 1815, its place was taken by a sculptural composition by François Joseph Bosio and François-Frédéric Lemot, allegorically depicting the triumph of the Bourbons. Since 1871, the arch has ceased to be the entrance gate to the Tuileries Palace, since the palace itself was no longer there: it was burned by the French revolutionaries. However, this did not prevent the monument from organically fitting into the 9-kilometer historical axis, which includes the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe at Place de Gaulle and the Grande Arche de la Défense.

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The Arc de Triomphe on Place Carrousel is the first of three famous structures that stretch a distinct optical axis across the whole of Paris. At any point on this axis you can see the arches lying on a nine-kilometer straight line - the Carrousel, the Triumphal on Charles de Gaulle Square and the Grande La Défense.

The arch in front of the Tuileries Palace was ordered to be built by Napoleon Bonaparte in memory of his own victories of 1806-1808. The project was entrusted to the architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, whom the emperor trusted: they were tastemakers, leading masters of the Empire style. This style embodied a sense of imperial power and military strength. It was ideal for celebrating the successes of the empire.

When working on the project, Percier and Fontaine were inspired by ancient models: the Romans were the first to build triumphal gates for their victors. The Arch of Titus (81), the Arch of Septimius Severus (205) and the Arch of Constantine (315), located in Rome, are famous. Napoleonic architects took the arch of Septimius Severus as a model, but slightly reduced the size (height 19 meters versus 21 meters in the Eternal City). However, the Parisian building turned out to be no less solemn and ceremonial.

The facades of Carruzel are richly decorated with sculptures. The subjects for the compositions were selected by Dominique Vivant-Denon, a talented amateur Egyptologist appointed by Napoleon as director of the Louvre. The reliefs depict Napoleon's entry into Munich and Vienna, the Battle of Austerlitz, the Congress of Tilsit, and the fall of Ulm. The arch is also decorated with the heraldry of the French Empire and the Kingdom of Italy.

The arch was crowned by the quadriga of St. Mark, made of gilded bronze. It is believed that Lysippos himself sculpted it in the 4th century BC. e. At one time, four bronze horses adorned the hippodrome of Constantinople; during the Fourth Crusade, Doge Dandolo took it to Venice and installed it in the Basilica of San Marco. Napoleon, having conquered Italy, took the quadriga to France to decorate the Carruzel arch with it. After the fall of Bonaparte, the French returned the sculpture to the Italians. Now on the arch there is a composition depicting the triumph of the Bourbons (authors - Francois-Frederic Lemo and Francois Joseph Bosio).

(French: Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel) - one of two Parisian triumphal arches erected by order of Napoleon Bonaparte. The solemn monument in the Empire style was intended to perpetuate the victory of the French army in the battle against the troops of Russia and Austria at Austerlitz (December 1805).

The site for the construction of the arch was chosen as Carrousel Square, which was located between the western wing of the Louvre and the imperial residence - the Tuileries Palace. The square inherited its name from the equestrian competitions (French carrousel) held there, which enjoyed constant success at the court of Louis XIV. The architects were Pierre Fontaine and Charles Percier, who created the majestic landmark in 1807-1809. The height of the arch is 19 meters, width - 23, depth - 7.

Their project was based on ancient architectural forms that symbolized the imperial power of Ancient Rome. The facades of the building are decorated with marble columns of the Corinthian order. Each of them corresponds to a statue of a soldier of the Grand Army. On the side of the Louvre, a cuirassier, a dragoon, a carabineer and a cavalryman were positioned in a row. On the opposite facade you can see a grenadier, a gunner, an infantryman and a sapper. The sculptures of soldiers look unusual due to their realism and detailed uniforms. Such a pictorial approach stood out sharply against the background of the fashion for ancient ideals that dominated in that era.

Above the small spans of the arch there are four marble bas-reliefs. They depict key moments of Napoleon's military campaigns, the subjects of which were selected by the first director of the Louvre Museum, Baron Denon. The front side shows the already mentioned Battle of Austerlitz and the capitulation of the Austrian army at Ulm. The other side depicts the French entry into Vienna and the meeting of the two emperors in Tilsit, where Alexander I and Napoleon concluded a peace treaty.

The attic arches are decorated with stone bas-reliefs with heraldic symbols. On the main façade on the left is the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Italy, which is supported by allegorical figures of Strength and Wisdom. To the right of the attic is the coat of arms of the French Empire with Peace and Plenty. On the reverse side of the arch the same coat of arms is depicted, surrounded by symbols of the sciences and arts.

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The appearance of symbols of Italy in the heart of Paris is no coincidence. As a result of a brilliant military campaign, the French conquered its northern territories, which became the Italian Republic and then a kingdom. Another important symbolic element was the quadriga from St. Mark's Cathedral that crowned the arch. The gilded sculpture was brought as a trophy from Venice, where it, in turn, came from Constantinople. Interesting fact - Napoleon refused to install his statue on top of the arch, saying: “It is not I, but others who must immortalize me. The chariot should be empty." After the defeat at Waterloo and Bonaparte's abdication, the Austrians who occupied Paris returned the quadriga to Italy. During the Bourbon Restoration, a bronze copy was installed in its place, which has survived to this day. In it, the chariot is driven by a symbolic figure of Peace, and on the sides are statues of Victories.

During the Paris Commune, the Tuileries Palace was burned. Subsequently, the government of the Third Republic refused to restore the ruins, which became a symbol of the fallen royal power. Place Carrousel with its arch expanded and harmoniously fit into the historical axis of Paris. This straight line runs from the Louvre to the La Défense business district in the west of Paris and includes the Tuileries Garden, Place de la Concorde, Champs Elysees and Place de Gaulle with the large Arc de Triomphe.

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Place du Carrousel is located in the first arrondissement of Paris between the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden.

A look into the past

Place Carrousel appeared on the map of Paris in 1662. It was created by order of King Louis XIV to hold celebrations on the occasion of the birth of the heir. the program of which included a demonstration of the skills of cavalrymen during equestrian dressage - carrousel. Until this time, on the vacant lot between the Tuileries Palace and the wall of Charles V, the palace of the Duchess of Montpensier had been located since 1600, demolished in 1655.

During the Great French Revolution of the late 18th century. Place Carrousel became the site of public executions. For several years during these turbulent days it was renamed Brotherhood Square. A guillotine was installed on it, on which dozens of people were executed, including the writer J. Cazotte and the minister of the government of Louis XVI A. de Laporte.

At the beginning of the 19th century. under Napoleon I the area was expanded after the demolition of old houses. A few decades later, during the Second Empire under the reign of Napoleon III, the square became even more spacious.

During the Paris Commune of 1871, the Tuileries Palace, built for Catherine de Medici, was set on fire by the rebels. The fire almost completely destroyed it and after the suppression of the uprising the palace was not restored, but in 1883 the boundaries of the square were again expanded to the west.

Architectural ensemble of the square

On the eastern side of the square is the Royal Palace Museum (Musée du Louvre), in front of which in Napoleon's courtyard is the famous glass pyramid built by the architect Yo Ming Pei. On the north and south sides it is also partially framed by two wings of the royal palace of Denon and Richelieu.

In the center of the square since 1989, in the middle of a circular area with hedges of bushes, there is an inverted one (La Pyramide inversée du Louvre), most of which is hidden underground. This structure, designed by Yo Ming Pei, measures 16 m on sides and is 7 m high and weighs about 160 tons.

In 1807-1809, to commemorate the French victory at Austerlitz, it was erected on Place Carrousel. Its project was jointly developed by architects C. Percier and P. Fontaine. Bas-reliefs and mosaics placed on its walls and vault illustrate the events of the military campaign of 1805. One of the main images is the scene of the surrender in Ulm.

Behind the arch on the western side, the Carruzel Garden (jardin Carruzel) adjoins the square. It is located on a slight hill and is separated by Avenue Du General Lemonnier from the garden. The Carrousel Garden was laid out on the site of the demolished Tuileries Palace in 1883. In 1964, 20 statues by sculptor A. Maillol were installed in the garden: Pain, Summer, Flora, Night, Pomona and many others.

Between the museum and the Arc de Triomphe on the square there are two statues in the classicist style, made by the sculptor A-F. Gerard. Two female figures symbolize the History of France and its military victories.


Near Place Carrousel there is a large underground shopping center