Mounted at the top of the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon I. The architect Chalgrin was inspired by the triumphal arches of the Roman Empire to design his project. A tribute to the soldiers and a reward for the battles they won, this monument concreted the fulfilment of the Emperor’s promise made to his soldiers after the victory of Austerlitz (1805): “You will only return to your homes under triumphal arches”. The Arc de Triomphe has become the symbol of national civic-mindedness and a sort of secular temple dedicated to the fatherland. In 1921, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed under the Arc de Triomphe.