52'  French France

From its pedestal in the centre of Place de la Concorde, this 23-metre-high obelisk of pink granite has dominated Paris for almost two centuries, like a jewel from another time. How did the oldest monument in the capital end up in this spot?
In 1830, France embarked on one of the greatest engineering adventures of its time: extracting, transporting and erecting [...]

From its pedestal in the centre of Place de la Concorde, this 23-metre-high obelisk of pink granite has dominated Paris for almost two centuries, like a jewel from another time. How did the oldest monument in the capital end up in this spot?
In 1830, France embarked on one of the greatest engineering adventures of its time: extracting, transporting and erecting a 230-ton obelisk in the heart of its capital city. For six years, engineers, sailors and manual workers strived to achieve what many then considered impossible. This was an adventure that gave rise to unprecedented technical solutions and pushed the engineering of its time to the limit. One of the men involved in this expedition was a young marine officer, Léon de Joannis. Day after day, he recorded the progress of the enterprise in his notebooks and drawings. Preserved for almost two centuries, these exceptional documents today bear witness to this huge technical and human undertaking. The true story of a journey that forged indelible links between the banks of the Nile and the capital of France.

Category:  Documentary 

Genre:  Art