The Champs Elysées are Paris’ symbol all over the world. That’s the “most beautiful avenue ever” and also the main axis for the military triumph of the 17th century, an entertainment place in the 19th century and a luxury trade place since 1900. At the beginning of the 16th century Mary de Medici commissioned the “queen avenue”, a long street delimited by trees.
The avenue was named Champs Elysées in 1709 evocating those great mythological heroes.
In 1724 the director of the royal gardens, the duke of Antin, extended the avenue to the present Place de l’Etoile. At the end of the 18th century the avenue was just an isolated promenade where there are 6 estates. In 1814-1815 Russian and Prussian troops repelled Napoleonic army to the capital city. Cosacks camped then in the gardens and devastated all the plantations.
The big change dates back to the 19th century, when the works during the second Empire ratify the then opposition between the Eastern poor Paris and the Western rich Paris around the Champs Elysées.
The Avenue was then embellished with fountains, pavements. Restaurants, circuses, landscapes attract an elegant crowd. Knights, calashes, nobility all moved under idlers’ eyes. Many luxury hotels were built and only one of them is still there (Hotel Païva, 25). Once the underground station was built there in 1902, many big hotels, luxury houses were built too. The avenue then offered a sight of industrial, auto, cinematographic modernism. Many offices have been built since 1930s. They have turned the Champs Elysees in an avenue where only some guardians live.
The Champs Elysées has become a patriotic symbol for the national glory. Since 1919, every July 14th, there are military marches. That’s here that people meet to commemorate Victor Hugo, to march for the 1944 freeing and to pay homage to General De Gaulle. The new 1994 lodgings by Bernard Huet were supposed to give prestige to the Avenue; cars weren’t not allowed to be parked in the service roads, an underground parking area was built and the ground was covered by grey granite flags (alas! It’s stained with chewing gums). A second row of plane trees makes a walk there more delightful.