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France: It measures 324 meters in height, weighs 7,300 tons and attracts more than seven million visitors each year: the Eiffel Tower, strongly contested during its construction, has become the symbol of Paris, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year.
This property of the City of Paris celebrated all over the world has not always been liked: its construction was accompanied by a "huge controversy, complaints and petitions" of opponents, says the deputy in charge of culture at the city hall of Paris, Christophe Girard.
On the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1889, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution, a great competition was launched, won by the industrialist Gustave Eiffel, much to the chagrin of many artists of the time including the writer Guy de Maupassant.
Built in two years, two months and five days, the one based on more than 18,000 pieces of iron is the symbol of a "technical and architectural performance". In the nineteenth century, "it is the symbol of a France that catches up with its industrial power" and becomes "the highlight of the 1889 exhibition," said Bertrand Lemoine, architect and historian.
https://www.asianage.com/life/travel/150519/130th-anniversary-of-the-eiffel-tower.html
(Score: 2) by sshelton76 on Friday May 17 2019, @11:04PM (1 child)
I remembered reading about it being sold for scrap. Not once but twice.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/man-who-sold-eiffel-tower-twice-180958370/ [smithsonianmag.com]
You'd think they'd just tear that eyesore down and replace it with a nice skyscraper or something.
j/k I actually love that landmark. Lots of fond memories. Still it has some very interesting history behind it including the fact that it was built for the world's fair but couldn't be tore down because of the expense involved. This lead a lot of early Parisians to view it as an eye sore and they petitioned the government on more than one occasion to have it tore down to restore the original skyline. Glad that was one time government did not listen to it's citizens.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Saturday May 18 2019, @12:01AM
Becoming a radio antenna saved it, then the tourists kept it profitable.
Now, it's kind of the identity of the place, like it or not. That place on TV ain't Paris if they haven't shown the tower.
Tourists don't realize that the view from the Montparnasse tower is a lot better, because from its top you don't see the Montparnasse tower.