Place de la Concorde

   The Empireâs main achievement in 
   Paris was the enhancement of the 
   great cruciform perspective 
   centered on the Place Louis-XV, 
   now called Place de la Concorde. 
   To the south of the square, on 
   the opposite side of the Seine, 
   is Palais Bourbon; to the north, 
   the church of Madeleine. The 
   Champ-Elys*es goes to the west 
   and is ended with the grandeur 
   Arc de Triomphe. However, the 
   fourth arm of the perspective 
   posed a unique problem. The view 
   eastward from the Champs-Elys*es 
   was closed by the Tuileries 
   gardens. The great area of the 
   Place de la Concorde allowed it 
   to link two almost parallel 
   east-west axes: that of the 
   Champs-Elys*es, and that of a 
   new street running eastward from 
   the north-eastern corner of the 
   Place de la Concorde along the 
   northern perimeter of the 
   Tuileries gardens:
   the Rue de Rivoli.