The symbol of Paris is one of the most famous monuments in the world and also one of the most visited on the planet: history, curiosities and anecdotes about this wonder.

Paris, the capital of France, is considered by many to be the most romantic city in the world.

The credit goes to its streets, squares, buildings, gardens and monuments that seem to have been created to enchant anyone who finds themselves in their presence. The city, in fact, is full of sites of interest that are one more beautiful than the other, but without a shadow of a doubt it is the famous Eiffel Tower that is its most famous symbol. It is a construction that is more than 300 meters high and has a long history, but also anecdotes and curiosities, to tell.

Photo by Chris Karidis

The history of the Eiffel Tower
On the Champs de Mars, a famous and vast public garden in Paris located on the left bank of the Seine, stands an iron construction 312 meters high (324 if you also take into account the antennas for radio and television programs that are installed on its summit) and that the whole world dreams of seeing at least once in their life: the Eiffel Tower.

Built in iron in 1889, it takes its name from its engineer Gustave Eiffel and, in addition to being one of the most famous monuments in the world, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

It consists of 4 floors, the last of which is 279 meters high. This is a truly impressive height since the final floor of this monument corresponds to the highest observation platform accessible to the public in Europe.

It took 250 workers to build it, who had to work for two years, two months and five days, and who then saw it inaugurated on 31 March 1889.

Photo: @the-paris-photographer

Curiosities about the history of the Eiffel Tower
A monument as famous as the Eiffel Tower certainly couldn’t be free from truly particular curiosities, especially about its long history that fascinates many. We at SiViaggia have collected some of them:

It wasn’t supposed to be permanent: it was built as a temporary work for the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1889, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It was decided to keep it thanks to Gustave Eiffel, who installed a radio antenna and a telegraph transmitter in order to make it too useful to be dismantled;

Gustave Eiffel wasn’t the designer: the original project was by two expert engineers who worked for his company, Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier. Eiffel only gave most of the funds for its construction, and then bought the patent rights;

Hitler ordered its destruction: it happened in 1944, when the Allies were ready to liberate the city, but Dietrich von Choltitz, a German general personally appointed by Hitler as Governor of Paris during the last days of the Nazi occupation of the city, was shocked by the order and chose not to carry it out;

The engineer Eiffel climbed all 1,710 steps on foot: he did them on the day of the inauguration to hoist the French tricolor on the top of the tower;

The first visitors to the Tower: were the royal family of England and the American actor Buffalo Bill, in the now distant 1889;

It was supposed to be moved to Canada: the idea was from the French president Charles de Gaulle, in 1960, to show it to the world during the Universal Exhibition of 1967. However, the company that managed the tower prevented this for logistical reasons.

Photo by Joshua Peters

Fun facts about the structure of the Eiffel Tower
The symbol of Paris stands out for being a wrought iron lattice tower with more or less the same height as an 81-story building. During its construction it became the tallest artificial structure in the world, but this is certainly not the only interesting curiosity about its impressive structure:

It changes size: this happens because of the metal it is built with, since it is able to contract in winter and expand in summer. Just think that the height of the Eiffel Tower can vary up to 15 cm;

It can move: it is not an optical effect, but a reaction that is evident during storms. The sun, among other things, also makes it tilt;

It is painted with multiple colors: it has been subjected to several layers of paint to protect it from oxidation. Furthermore, to ensure its longevity and conservation, it is repainted every seven years by hand, after having stripped, cleaned and protected every corner of the structure from rust. Over the years, in fact, the tower has taken on different shades, from Venetian red to yellow-orange. Particularly well-known is the “Eiffel Tower brown”;

The elevator mechanisms are those of the past: they date back to its construction and every year the elevators that lead to the top of the tower travel 100 thousand kilometers;

Recognition of scientists and engineers: there are 72 names of French scientists and engineers from the 18th and 19th centuries engraved on the sides of the Eiffel Tower, in 60-centimeter golden capital letters. Unfortunately, however, among these 72 people there is not a single woman.

Photo by Joshua Peters

The most peculiar anecdotes
Finally, we have collected for you the most peculiar anecdotes of one of the most visited paid monuments in the world. As you can read on the official website of the Tower, in fact, almost 7 million visitors come every year:

It has a secret apartment: it is located at the top and once belonged to the architect Gustave Eiffel, who built it to conduct experiments and entertain illustrious visitors;

The Tower is married: its partner is Erika Aya (now Erika Eiffel), an American professional archer. The woman claims to have felt an immediate attraction for this monument, a very particular interest that has been classified by doctors and experts as a form of paraphilia. The marriage, obviously, has no legal value but Erika still managed to have her surname changed to Eiffel;

It is illuminated by 20 thousand lights: an effect inspired by the flashes of cameras and which illuminates the monument for 5 minutes every hour, from sunset to 1 am;

It once housed a post office: it was located on the first floor, 187 meters high, and was considered the smallest post office in Paris;

It has many replicas: there are more than 30 around the world. Some of the cities that have a copy are Las Vegas, Tokyo, Prague, Brisbane, Tennessee, Sofia and Hangzhou;

The Olympic medals contain material from the Tower: for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, it was decided to embellish the medals intended for athletes with the original iron used for its construction;

It is possible to eat on the Tower: on the first floor of the monument there is a restaurant that welcomes guests in a contemporary, elegant setting with huge windows that allow you to contemplate the city, the Seine, the Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower itself from a truly exciting point of view.