triumphal arch

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triumphal arch

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Arc de Triomphe and Place Charles de Gaulle

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Category: Science & Tech

Key People:: Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine; Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin

Related Topics:: arch; building

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triumphal arch, a monumental structure pierced by at least one arched passageway and erected to honour an important person or to commemorate a significant event. It was sometimes architecturally isolated but usually was built to span either a street or a roadway, preferably one used for triumphal processions. Although associated with ancient Roman architecture, the origins and significance of the triumphal arch are still not fully understood. It was a separate structure, having no connection with city gates or city walls, and should not be confused with the Porta Triumphalis, through which the victorious Roman army had to pass before ...(100 of 562 words)

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