![]() Since then, the landmark has grown in popularity and fame, being widely featured in films and sees 6.91 million visitors each year. In 1918, French writer and soldier, Guillaume Apollinaire, wrote a nationalist poem in the shape of the Eiffel Tower as a symbol of strength and defiance against the Germans. The Eiffel Tower was a central attraction and certainly got visitors talking, whether favourably or not.īy the Great War, the Eiffel Tower was a symbol of patriotism and resistance in France. The World’s Fair was a great success, marking 100 years since the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. One writer, Guy de Maupassant, however was reported to dine every lunchtime at the tower as it was the only spot in Paris where he didn’t have to look at it! Today, visitors can still eat delicious French cuisine at one of the restaurants or cafes up the Eiffel Tower. Once the tower was finished, many protesters changed their minds about its artistry and decided it was, after all, a complementary addition to the Parisian skyline. They said, ‘We… passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection … of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.’ They were told they were too late, and (fortunately for us) construction of the ‘monstrous’ tower continued… Popularity and National Symbolism There was even a protest to its construction in 1887 – a committee of three hundred writers, painters, sculptors and architects (one for each metre of the height it was to reach) signed a petition against the tower – it was sent to the minister who was planning the exposition and published in Paris newspapers. The occasion of the World’s Fair exposed the French capital to the world’s stage – were Parisians going to feel proud of their home with this modern, controversial structure representing them? The City of Light’s art scene was booming in the 1880s and there were those that thought, not only would the exposed metalwork be ugly and overly industrial for picturesque, historic Paris but the sheer height and size of it would look out of place along the skyline as it had no other tall buildings. Initially, many protested its construction due to artistic reasons. Countless marriage proposals take place at this spot each year and it’s no wonder – with a backdrop this beautiful, it provides a memorable and classic scene for any loving couple, sharing a special moment. Ever since, this word has come to represent a beacon of romance – around the world, the moment people hear the name ‘Eiffel’ they immediately think of l’amour à la Parisienne. The bid was won by an engineering company led by Gustave Eiffel who gave the tower his name. Once the tower was actually built, it achieved and held this title for the next 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was completed and overtook it. At that time, this title was held by the Washington Monument in the USA. ![]() ![]() They knew it had to be spectacular and immediately, many designers decided it was a great opportunity to compete for the tallest structure in the world. ![]() When it was decided the World’s Fair 1889 would be held in Paris, local engineers and architects started to vie for the opportunity to design the centre piece and entrance to the fair. Nowadays, you won’t find many Parisians around the Eiffel Tower but you will find French out-of-towners and foreign tourists gravitating towards the central structure for beautiful views from the top, the surrounding parklands and many, many selfie opportunities. It is funny to think then, that this wrought iron construction has not always been a proud monument for many French people – indeed, it was met with distaste and much opposition when it was completed in 1889. One of the most instantly-recognisable structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower – or Tour d‘Eiffel – has come to represent France in one simple symbol. ![]()
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