The
Avenue des Champs-Élysées () is a prestigious
avenue in
Paris,
France. With its
cinemas,
cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped
chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, and with rents as high as €1.1 million (USD1.5 million) per 1,000 square feet (92.9 square metres) of space, it remains the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe.
[Elaine Sciolino, "", New York Times, 21 January 2007.] The name is
French for
Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in
Greek mythology.
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is known in France as
La plus belle avenue du monde ("The most beautiful avenue in the world"). The arrival of global chain stores in recent years has slightly changed its character, and in a first effort to stem these changes, the
City of Paris (which has called this trend "
banalisation") decided in 2007 to ban the Swedish clothing chain
H&M from opening a store on the avenue.
In 2008, however, American clothing chain
Abercrombie & Fitch was given permission to open a store.
Description
The avenue runs for two kilometres (1.25 miles) through the
8th arrondissement in northwestern Paris, from the
Place de la Concorde in the east, with the
Obelisk of Luxor, to the
Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly the
Place de l'Étoile) in the west, location of the
Arc de Triomphe. The Champs-Élysées forms part of the
Axe historique.
One of the principal tourist destinations in Paris, the lower part of the Champs-Élysées is bordered by greenery (
Carré Marigny) and by buildings such as the
Théâtre Marigny and the
Grand Palais (containing the
Palais de la Découverte). The
Élysée Palace is slightly to the north, but not on the avenue itself. Further to the west, the avenue is lined with cinemas, cafés and restaurants (most notably
Fouquet's), and luxury specialty shops. The Champs-Élysées ends at the
Arc de Triomphe, built by
Napoleon Bonaparte to honour his victories.
The historical axis, looking west.
History
The Champs-Élysées were originally fields and market gardens, until 1616, when
Marie de Medici decided to extend the garden axis of the
Palais des Tuileries with an avenue of trees. As late as 1716,
Guillaume Delisle's map of Paris shows that a short stretch of roads and fields and market garden plots still separated the grand
axe of the Tuileries gardens from the planted "Avenue des Thuilleries," which was punctuated by a circular basin where the
Rond Point stands today; already it was planted with some avenues of trees radiating from it that led to the river through woods and fields. In 1724, the Tuileries garden axis and the avenue were connected and extended, leading beyond the
Place de l'Étoile; the "Elysian Fields" were open parkland flanking it, soon filled in with
bosquets of trees formally planted in straight rank and file. To the east, the unloved and neglected "
Vieux Louvre" (as it is called on the maps), still hemmed in by buildings, was not part of the axis. In a map of 1724, the
Grande Avenue des Champs-Elisée stretches west from a newly-cleared
Place du Pont Tournant soon to be renamed for
Louis XV and now the
Place de la Concorde.By the late 1700s, the Champs-Élysées had become a fashionable avenue; the bosquet plantings on either side had thickened enough to be given formal rectangular glades (
cabinets de verdure). The gardens of houses built along the Faubourg Saint-Honoré backed onto the formal bosquets. The grandest of them was the
Élysée Palace. A semicircle of house-fronts now defined the north side of the Rond-Point. Queen
Marie Antoinette drove with her friends and took music lessons at the grand
Hôtel de Crillon on the Place Louis XV. The avenue from the Rond-Point to the Étoile was built up during the
Empire. The Champs-Élysées itself became city property in 1828, and footpaths, fountains, and gas lighting were added. Over the years, the avenue has undergone numerous transitions, most recently in 1994, when the sidewalks were widened.
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, because of its size and proximity to several Parisian landmarks such as the
Arc de Triomphe, has been the site of several notable military parades, the most infamous being the march of German troops celebrating the
Fall of France on 14 June 1940, and the most famous, the subsequent march of Free French and American forces after the liberation of the city on 25 August 1944.
Premier offices and retail
In 1860, the merchants along the avenue joined together to form the
Syndicat d'Initiative et de Défense des Champs-Élysées, changed to an
association in 1916 to promote the avenue. In 1980, the group changed its name to the
Comité des Champs-Élysées and to "Comité Champs-Élysées" in 2008. It is the oldest standing committee in Paris. The committee has always dedicated itself to seek public projects to enhance the avenue's unique atmosphere, and to
lobby the authorities for extended business hours and to organize special events. Even today, the committee has approval with the Parisian administration over the addition of new business to the avenue.
Because of the high rents, few people live on the Champs-Élysées; the upper stories tend to be occupied by offices. Rents are particularly high on the north side of the avenue, because of better exposure to sunlight. The splendid architecture of the grandiose Champs-Élysées is admired by many people. The avenue is located right next to the
Palais de l'Élysée, the presidential
palace, with its rounded gate, and the
Grand Palais, erected in the late 19th century. While walking among the gardens and tree-lined promenades one can even encounter an open-air
marionette theatre for children, a French
tradition popular through the ages.
The avenue is also one of the most famous streets in the world for
upscale shopping.
Adidas,
Benetton, the
Disney Store,
Nike,
Zara,
Cartier,
Bel Air Fashion, continental Europe's largest
Gap, and
Sephora occupy major spaces.
Traditionally home to popular brands, as well as luxury brands (such as
Louis Vuitton), the Avenue des Champs Elysées confirms its world-class appeal as a prime real estate location: it has lately seen the opening of new big upscale shops such as the biggest Adidas store in the world.
Abercrombie & Fitch has received permission for a
flagship store there, scheduled to open to the public in 2011.
North sidewalk of the Champs-Élysées.
Events
Every year on
Bastille Day, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the Champs-Élysées, reviewed by the
President of the Republic.
Every year during
Advent,
Christmastide, and
Epiphany, the 'Champs-Élysées' Committee contribute for the Holidays seasons lighting of the Champs-Élysées. This generally occurs from late November until early January. The 2007 lighting of the Champs-Élysées was very successful, with lighting tubes which acted like snow falling from the trees.
Since 1975, the traditional last stage of the
Tour de France is the
Champs-Élysées stage. The subsequent awards ceremony also takes place directly on the Avenue.
Huge and spontaneous gatherings occasionally take place on the Champs-Élysées in celebration of popular events, such as
New Year's Eve, or when
France won the
1998 FIFA World Cup.
The Champs-Élysées has also been the site of numerous large political
protest gatherings, like those connected to the 2002 Presidential
election.
See also
