British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Cultures of Commemoration:
War Memorials Ancient and Modern

Neo-classical monuments in France, 18th-20th centuries: the Pantheon and the Arc de Triomphe

Avner Ben-Amos (Tel-Aviv University)

The Pantheon and Arc de Triomphe are two neoclassical Parisian monuments that were created, respectively, in the second half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. Ever since they have been main sites of French official memory. However, they never had the same share of the stage: when one was prominent, the other was marginal, and vice versa. The aim of this paper is to delineate the parallel histories of these monuments, and to analyze the relationship between them, from the French Revolution to the Fifth Republic. Although they are usually ascribed to different political camps – the Pantheon to the Left and the Arc de Triomphe to the Right – a close reading of the context of various commemorative acts that were performed inside and around these monuments will show that their identity was more complex. Yet, in spite of the rivalry between them, and the ups and downs of their destinies, both remained highly visible throughout the period. This was due not only to their central location, but also to the various heroic figures that became associated with them, and to their neoclassical, imposing style, which suited the aims of different political regimes.