![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/640px-Ecole_Militaire_Montparnasse.jpg\")
L’Ecole Militaire. Photo: Jebulon<\/a><\/span>\u00a0 \/ CC<\/p><\/div>\n After initial studies at the military academy of Brienne, Bonaparte came to Paris in October 1784, at the age of 15, to continue his training at the Ecole Militaire. After a year, he left the academy as a second lieutenant in the La F\u00e8re artillery regiment. His military career continued to advance through the early years of the Revolution. His surpression of a royalist insurrection in 1795 shot Bonaparte to sudden fame and had him promoted to Commander of the Interior and of the Army of Italy. With his new position, he made the Ecole Militaire his headquarters.<\/p>\n The most famous site connected to Napol\u00e9on, and one of the most visited sites in Paris, is certainly this mammoth triumphal arch. After his victory at Austerlitz in 1806, the Emperor commissioned a number of commemorative projects to celebrate his military campaigns. A number of propositions were put forth for the largest of these monuments and, for a time, there were plans to construct a massive elephant fountain in the centre of Place de l’Etoile and at the end of the Champs Elys\u00e9es. In the end, Napoleon’s love of the antiquities, especially Roman monuments and symbolism, won out. The 50-metre high archway, which was originally designed to commemorate those who fought and died in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, features sculptures by leading artists of the era. Only partially completed when the Emperor was ousted from power in 1814, the archway was finally completed in 1836, during the reign of King Louis-Philippe, just in time for Napol\u00e9on’s remains to pass beneath it when they were returned to France on 1840.<\/p>\n Despite its very central location, between the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden, this second archway built by Napol\u00e9on often gets overshadowed by its more famous bigger sister. Constructed between 1806 and 1808, it too commemorates the battle of Austerlitz and other Napoleonic military victories. It is adorned with pink marble columns, statues and commemorative friezes, although it’s the sculpture on the top that’s the most interesting. During Napoleon’s conquest of Italy, the Horses of Saint Mark’s Basilica, already spoils from the Venetian Republic’s attacks on Constantinople, were pillaged and placed atop the arch. After the fall of Napoleon, the French were forced to return the original and this copy was added in its place.<\/p>\n Another Roman-style monument, this gigantic column is modelled after Trajan’s column in Rome. Also commemorating the victory at Austerlitz, and placed in the prestigious Place Vend\u00f4me, the bronze column was made from the melted down canons captured from the Russians and Austrians defeated in the legendary battle. The base of the 44 metre-high structure are Napoleonic eagles, whereas traveling up it is the story of the battle, atop which is Napol\u00e9on, holding a miniature Victory in his hand. This is, however, a replacement of the original column which was toppled by Communards during the 1871 Commune de Paris revolt (more on this event in this article on the Commune)<\/a>.<\/p>\n The largest of 15 fountains commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, it was designed to provide fresh drinking water to the city. However, in true Napoleonic style, it also honours his military victories. At the base of the fountain are four sphinxes, eluding to the Emperor’s Egyptian campaign, from where the water spurts into a round basin. Above these are laurel-laden eagles and an Egyptian style column rising in palms, which gives the fountain its name. It too is crowned by Victory, holding out more laurels and the names of various battles are listed around it. This fountain’s location is also significant, built on the former site of Le Grand Ch\u00e2telet, a formidable fortress and symbol of L’Ancien R\u00e9gime, destroyed just like La Bastille.<\/p>\n \u00c9glise de la Madeleine. Photo: Jose Losada \/ Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n Although this is a Catholic church today, this Greek Temple-esque structure dominating Place de la Madeleine has had various inceptions. Prior to the French Revolution the building of a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene had begun on this site, a project abandoned during the turmoil and anti-religious times. The foundations and finished portico stood for over a decade before Napol\u00e9on decided in 1806 to convert the designs into a Temple to the Glory of the Great Army. Incomplete at the fall of the Emperor, the restitution of the Monarchy steered the building’s course back in the direction of a church. Nevertheless, in 1837 there was talk of turning the building into Paris first railway station, but Mary Magdalene prevailed in the end and the church was consecrated in her honour in 1842.<\/p>\n Place de la Bourse, Photo: mksfca \/ Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n Although it was decided to move the previous Stock Echanges prior to Napol\u00e9on’s reign, he gets the credit for bringing all of Paris’s stock trading under one roof. It’s known as the Palais Brongniart, in honour of its architect, Alexandre-Th\u00e9odore Brongniart, who was tasked by Bonaparte to design a structure worthy of representing France’s commercial power. Similar in appearance to La Madeleine, the rectangular neoclassical building is also surrounded a colonnade. With the shift of trading online, the building is now rented out for congresses and other events.<\/p>\n Tomb of Napol\u00e9on, Mus\u00e9e de l’Arm\u00e9e Photo: OTCP\/DR<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n When Napol\u00e9on’s remains returned to France in 1840,\u00a0 it was decided that his final resting place should be the Saint-Louis Cathedral, the Military church of the Les Invalides complex. Built under Louis XIV and designed by Jules Hardouin Mansart from 1677, at 107 metres, the cathedral’s dome is the highest in France and considered by many to be its most beautiful. Gilded in gold on the outside, it is deep in its crypt where the Emperor’s tomb is found, made of red quartzite and sitting on a green granite base. A visit to the tomb is included on entrance tickets to the Mus\u00e9e de l’Arm\u00e9e<\/a> at the Invalides.<\/p>\n You can further learn about Napol\u00e9on in the exhibit dedicated to him taking place at La Villette<\/a> from 19 May to 19 September, 2021, or by visiting the castles of Malmaison<\/a> and Fontainebleau<\/a>, two popular residences of the Emperor.<\/p>\nL’Ecole Militaire<\/h3>\n
![\"Arc-du-Triomphe-Napoleon-Paris\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/36073583964_32870901e9_c.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nL’Arc de Triomphe<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/Arc-du-Carrousel-2.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nL’Arc du Carroussel<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/Vendome-Column.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nColonne Vend\u00f4me<\/h3>\n
![\"Fontaine](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/32714531337_51a4e2ca97_k-1.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nFontaine du Palmier<\/h3>\n
![\"\u00c9glise](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/19855010545_b52191d484_c.jpg\")
L’Eglise de <\/b>La Madeleine<\/h3>\n
![\"la-bourse-paris-mksfca\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/4357621440_5bcb907f6a_c.jpg\")
Palais de la Bourse<\/h3>\n
![\"Mus\u00e9e-de-l'Arm\u00e9e-Tombeau-de-Napol\u00e9on-Eglise-du-D\u00f4me-_-630x405-_-\u00a9-OTCP-DR\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/files\/2021\/05\/Musee-de-lArmee-Tombeau-de-Napoleon-Eglise-du-Dome-_-630x405-_-\u00a9-OTCP-DR.jpg\")
Les Invalides<\/h3>\n