 |
La Marseillaise by François Rude; One of four reliefs on the pillars of the Arch. The day the Battle of Verdun started in 1916, the sword carried by the figure representing the Republic broke off. The relief was immediately hidden to conceal the accident and avoid any undesired associations or interpretations as a bad omen. Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. |
