in 1810. The original name of the area was the
Butte Chaillot ("Chaillot Mound", named after the locality). At the time, it was the point of convergence of several hunting trails. The
Marquis de Marigny constructed monumental roadworks, completed in 1777, on the mound when he was establishing the plantations along the
Champs-Élysées. The junction included paving of the road in the form of a star, as it still exists today and became known as the Place de l'Étoile. In 1787, the
Wall of the Ferme générale (
Mur des Fermiers généraux), and the two toll houses of the ''Barrière de l'Étoile
(also known as the Barrière de Neuilly'') were built to the design of
Claude Nicolas Ledoux for the collection of the
octroi tax at the entrance to Paris. They were located on either side of the Place de l'Étoile until their demolition after 1859. Between 1806 and 1836, the
Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile was built to the design of
Jean-François Chalgrin. It was originally commissioned by Emperor
Napoleon I during the
First French Empire and inaugurated three decades later by King
Louis Philippe I under the
July Monarchy. The avenues radiating from the Place de l'Étoile were created during the
Second French Empire of Emperor
Napoleon III as part of
Haussmann's renovation of Paris. The square was completely redesigned with avenues de Bezons (now
Wagram), Joséphine (now
Marceau),
Kléber, de Saint-Cloud (now
Victor-Hugo), Essling (now Carnot), Prince-Jérôme (now Mac-Mahon and Niel) forming with the
Champs-Élysées and other existing avenues a star around the
Arc de Triomphe. In 1864, the circular street surrounding the Place de l'Étoile was named
Rue de Presbourg (south of the
Axe historique) and
Rue de Tilsitt (north of the
Axe historique), after the diplomatic successes of
Napoleon which led to the signing of the
Treaty of Presbourg in 1805 and the
Treaties of Tilsit in 1807. Since 1921, beneath the Arc de Triomphe lies the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After the death of President
Charles de Gaulle in 1970, the Place de l'Étoile was renamed the Place Charles de Gaulle. == Description ==