The Petit Palais and the Grand Palais are a major legacy of the Belle Epoque, the heyday of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Parisians and visitors from all over the world were thrilled by the World Fairs. The neo-classical architecture of each building, the transparent glass roof of the Grand Palais, made entirely of glass and metal, and the many statues decorating the facades make these buildings witnesses to a period of carefree living. The two Palais stand on either side of the perspective that crosses the most beautiful bridge in Paris, the Alexandre-III bridge, and joins the Esplanade and the Hôtel des Invalides.