Where Is the Eiffel Tower Located?
The Eiffel Tower is located in Paris, the capital city of the nation of France. One of the most memorable and internationally recognized symbols of France, it is more than a simple landmark; it is a symbol of international pride and a monument to the industriousness of one of the most unique nations in Europe. When the Eiffel Tower was built, it was actually the entrance gate to the 1889 World’s Fair, held that year in Paris.
The Eiffel Tower is at the northwestern extremity of the Parc du Champ de Mars, a rectangular park that now separates the Eiffel Tower from the École Militaire, a military school constructed in the mid-1700s. When he was a teenager, Napoleon himself was a student at the school.
The Eiffel Tower is also located near several other important French buildings, notably France’s National Assembly and the grand Prime Minister’s palace, where Nicholas Sarkozy currently resides. Anyone living and working in this vicinity will notice the imposing stature of the Eiffel Tower, rising above the landscape, a testament to the energy and pride poured into its construction.
When Was it Built?
Planning for the construction on the Eiffel Tower began in earnest in 1887, after France was chosen for the site of the 1889 World’s Fair. Gustave Eiffel, French architect, actually planned to place his building in the city of Barcelona, Spain. When the city of Barcelona decided that his design was too ostentatious for the layout of the city, Eiffel moved the location of his tower to Paris, France.
He submitted a proposal for the tower to the individuals who planned the Universal Exposition (later to be known as the World’s Fair) in France, and began building his tower—originally a “gateway” into the festival—in 1888. Therefore, the Eiffel Tower was built primarily as a boost to France’s national pride and image.
Over 18,000 pieces of puddle iron, considered an extremely stable material for construction, and 7 million nails were used in the tower. In spite of how open to the elements the tower is, Eiffel maintained the safety of all of the workers who toiled endlessly (even working through the night before the tower opened) to bring his vision to fruition.
When the tower was finally completed in 1889, only one individual had died during the construction process.
Significance of the Tower
More than a national icon the Eiffel Tower has captured minds and hearts across the globe and stands a testament to the culture of France. Until the Chrysler Building was constructed in New York City in 1930, beginning the era of American skyscrapers, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building on the face of the earth. Although widely criticized by many great artists and writers at the time of its construction, countless stories, songs, and works of art have been dedicated to the monument. When Hitler ordered a general to destroy the tower along with the rest of the city during the Second World War, the general would not comply, demonstrating the lasting power of the tower that Eiffel built.
Paris
Paris is one of the most historically significant locations in all of France, with archaeological evidence pointing to permanent habitants settling more than 4,000 years before the birth of Christ. Rome conquered Paris in 52 B.C., but 500 years later, the city was left mostly to its native inhabitants. Paris was named the capital of France in about 500 AD, and through a series of wars over the next millennium, changed hands several times.