Paris Arc de Triomphe reopens this Wednesday December 12

Good news! The Centre des monuments nationaux [National Monuments Center] has just announced the reopening of the Arc de Triomphe for this Wednesday December 12, 2018 at 10 a.m., after it undergone many damages during the demonstrations held on Saturday December 1, 2018.

That day, the Arc de Triomphe has been targeted by vandals who got inside the building to destroy statues and tag marble statues, broadcasting videos of their offenses online.

10 days and about a dozen companies were required to clean the historic building. Masons, carpenters, painters, plumbers and electricians worked relentlessly to remove all marks of vandalism and even re-established and re-examined “the services vital to safety and the monument proper functioning”!

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Unfortunately, everything hasn’t returned to its original state: some furniture elements – especially those of the bookstore-giftshop – have just been removed for a while allowing to be renovated, and more damaged works are currently subjected to a renovation and will be put back along the visit course as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the Fondation Napoléon stocks another bust of Napoleon by Chaudet to overcome the absence of the damaged bust that left for restoration.

So, go and rediscover the Arc de Triomphe, this monument thought up by Napoleon I to commemorate the glory of the Grande Armée and national unity, known as the collection place with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its flame of Remembrance lit every day since 1923 at 6:30 p.m.