Champ-de-Mars

The Champ de Mars (Field of Mars) is a large stretch of green area in Paris, located in the 7th arrondissement, southeast of the Eiffel Tower and northwest of the École Militaire. The park got its name after an area in Rome known as Campus Martius, which was dedicated to the Roman god of war. The reason why it was named so is because this site was previously used as the training grounds of the French military, mostly members of the military school, École Militaire. This fenced area could accommodate up to 10,000 men at a time. Between 1784 and 1785, a young Napoleon was schooled here in the art of war.

In the late 18th century, this site was used for various festivals and celebrations. And so, this was the place where the first celebration of the "Bastille Day" (known as "fête de la Fédération") was held in 1790 by King Louis XVI. A year later, the Champ de Mars witnessed the beheading of the first mayor of Paris, Jean Sylvain Bailly, who fell victim of his own revolution. Also, in 1794 the Festival of the Supreme Being took place there around a man-made mountain topped by a large "Altar of the Nation" designed by Jacques-Louis David. The Champ de Mars was also the site of four Universal Expositions held in 1867, 1878, 1889, and 1900. Another notable event that took place in the park was the launching of the world's first hydrogen-filled balloon on 27 August 1783.