The Disc-Shaped Roof at the Center of the Terrace

Welcome to the terrace, the highlight of the Arc de Triomphe. Before we start, pause the audio and take plenty of photos first. Gaze down the long sweep of the Champs-Élysées and out to the Eiffel Tower in the distance, then come back to us.

The first thing to look at is the huge disc-shaped roof at the center of the terrace. This spot was originally meant for a decorative crowning piece, the finishing touch that would have made the Arc even grander. It is empty now, but a crowning has been placed here a few times in history. For Napoleon's funeral procession in 1840, a statue of Napoleon and an equestrian statue topped the Arc, and for Victor Hugo's funeral procession a quadriga statue is said to have decorated it from 1842. Because of corrosion, however, no other crowning has been added since.