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Drawing from Greek mythology, the avenue was named after the Elysium, the Eden where the virtuous souls came to rest!
The Avenue des Champs Elysées dates back to 1670 when Louis XIV tasked landscape architect André Le Nôtre with creating the Tuileries Gardens. As part of this grand design, Le Nôtre extended the central lane of the Tuileries Gardens into what was then called the Grand Cours. Le Nôtre planted a double row of elms on either side, stretching up to the current Rue Marboeuf, and also designed the current Rond-Point des Champs Elysées.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING: Despite its now prestigious reputation, the avenue initially was a muddy path cutting through woods, swamps, and fields. The area was so bleak that Parisians avoided it at night, and building sites and material yards cluttered the riverbank.
In 1774, the Marquis de Marigny commissioned the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel to enlarge and extend the Grand Cours to reach the present-day Place Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile, further shaping the avenue into the iconic landmark it is today.
The Avenue des Champs Elysées dates back to 1670 when Louis XIV tasked landscape architect André Le Nôtre with creating the Tuileries Gardens. As part of this grand design, Le Nôtre extended the central lane of the Tuileries Gardens into what was then called the Grand Cours. Le Nôtre planted a double row of elms on either side, stretching up to the current Rue Marboeuf, and also designed the current Rond-Point des Champs Elysées.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING: Despite its now prestigious reputation, the avenue initially was a muddy path cutting through woods, swamps, and fields. The area was so bleak that Parisians avoided it at night, and building sites and material yards cluttered the riverbank.
In 1774, the Marquis de Marigny commissioned the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel to enlarge and extend the Grand Cours to reach the present-day Place Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile, further shaping the avenue into the iconic landmark it is today.