After the victory of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805, Emperor Napoleon I considered the idea of having a triumphal arch erected to commemorate the victories of his armies. Inspired by the image of soldiers of the Roman Empire passing under a victory arch on their return to Rome, the Emperor declared to his soldiers: “You will only return to your homes under triumphal arches”. On 18 February 1806, he ordered the construction of a colossal triumphal arch on the Place de l’Etoile in Paris, the first stone of which was laid on 6 August of the same year.