Arc de Triomphe de Montpellier

Paris isn’t the only French city with its own Arc de Triomphe! Montpellier, known as the “gifted one,” has one as well. They must have had something worth celebrating at some point in their history, Something or rather someone, to be more accurate. Located on one of the highest points in the city, where one of the gates of the old wall once stood, Montpellier’s Arc de Triomphe was built in the 17th century at the request of Louis XIV. His famous royal pride made him order this majestic arch to highlight his glory and his forty years of battles to expand and preserve the territory. As for choosing the location, that was easy – he selected the spot facing the Royal Square, known today as the Peyrou Promenade. The arch was designed by François d’Orbay, who studied under Mansart – the architect considered the father of classical French architecture. A local architect , Augustin-Charles d’Aviler, supervised the construction. Together, they created this impressive Arc de Triomphe, 15 meters high and 18 meters wide, in just one year. The project cost over 11,000 livres back then, which would be more than 200,000 euros today. They used 120 cubic meters of stone quarried from the area around Montpellier. If you look around the 7-meter-high archway, you’ll spot all sorts of details celebrating Louis XIV’s achievements. There are allegorical medallions singing his praises, the royal coat of arms in French blue, and an inscription at the top. Translated from Latin, it basically says: “Louis the Great, who ruled for seventy-two years, brought peace to land and sea after separating, containing, and winning over allied peoples during a forty-year war.” The Arc became an official historical monument in 1954 and got a facelift in 2003. It’s one of Montpellier’s most iconic examples of royal extravagance. If you’re up for it, climb the 90 steps to the top—you’ll be rewarded with an amazing 360° view of Montpellier that’s fit for a king.