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How the Eiffel Tower saved Paris

November 8, 2026 · 26 min

Show notes

In 1889, millions of people visited Paris for the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) and walked through an impressive 300-metre-tall gate. That gate was the Eiffel Tower and it was destined for demolition years later. It was never meant to be an icon, and it definitely wasn't built to help save the city from invasion.

So what happened?

Art historian and tour guide Sandrine Voillet tells Marc Fennell (Stuff The British Stole) how the tower’s surprise use helped save itself, and the city as a whole.

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