Napoleon and Marie-Louise entered Paris under a fake Arc de Triomphe in 1810, long before the real monument was built. The real arch was completed in 1836, but Napoleon never crossed it in life.
Napoleon and Marie-Louise's Paris Entry
On April 2, 1810, Napoleon I and his wife, Marie-Louise of Austria, entered Paris through the Étoile. They passed under a temporary structure that mimicked the future Arc de Triomphe, though the real monument had not yet been built.The Arc de Triomphe's Construction Timeline
The real Arc de Triomphe was started in 1806, with the first stone laid on August 15 of that year. The architect, Jean-François Chalgrin, oversaw the project but died in 1811, 25 years before the monument was completed.Napoleon's Two-Wedding Ceremony
Napoleon's marriage to Marie-Louise occurred in two parts. The civil ceremony took place on April 1, 1810, at the Château de Saint-Cloud, and the religious ceremony followed on April 2 in the Louvre's Salon Carré.The Fake Arch at the Étoile
To avoid showing the couple a construction site, a temporary arch was built at the Étoile. It was made of a wooden framework covered with painted canvas and trompe-l'œil reliefs to create the illusion of a completed monument.A Drawing Preserves the Moment
A drawing titled The Entry of His Imperial Majesty Marie-Louise into the City of Paris on April 2, 1810 exists in the collections of the Château de Fontainebleau. It captures the temporary arch and the imperial couple’s entry into Paris.The Real Arc de Triomphe's Inauguration
The real Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated on July 29, 1836, under King Louis-Philippe. Its official consecration took place in 1840, when Napoleon’s body was returned to Paris, passing under the completed arch for the first time.
