Colonnes du Trône, Information panel in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France
The Colonnes du Trône are information panels in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, attached to the historical columns near the Place de la Nation. Each column is built in three parts: a wide base, a fluted shaft, and a capital topped by a stone lion.
The columns were designed in 1787 by architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux as part of a city boundary where goods were taxed. The allegorical sculptures originally planned for the tops were never installed, and in 1845 statues of King Philip II Augustus and Saint Louis were placed there instead.
The columns stand at the eastern end of the Place de la Nation and mark the transition to the Cours de Vincennes. People walking through the area can notice a clear shift in the architectural character on either side.
The panels are on the sidewalk behind the Place de la Nation and are easy to reach on foot. It is worth slowing down while crossing the square to take in the columns and the surrounding pavilions at your own pace.
A triumphal arch meant to mirror the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile was planned for this site but never built. Victor Baltard produced a model of it in 1862, yet the project never went beyond that stage.
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