Arc de Triomphe
Napoléon, the French emperor who conquered most of Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, admired the Roman people. In 1806, following their example, he decided to build a very big arch of triumph which stands at the top of the Champs Elysées. His victorious troops would march on through the arch cheered by the population of Paris. This never happened thanks to General Wellington who defeated Napoléon at Waterloo in 1815.
The Arc de Triomphe was finished in 1836. It magnificently crowns the hill from where the Champs Elysées, the Avenue Foch, the Avenue de la Grande Armée, and nine other avenues radiate.