Francophiles rejoice: a piece of the iconic Eiffel Tower could soon be yours.
On May 21, an original staircase feature of the Eiffel Tower will be up for auction, and history shall be sold to the highest bidder.
Completed in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was designed by French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel
Only intended to last twenty years, the Eiffel Tower has endured for nearly a century and a half.
How the Paris Eiffel Tower was built
During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for four decades until the Chrysler Building in New York City was topped off in 1929.
In 1983, the original spiral staircases that connected the second and third floors of the tower were dismantled into 24 sections and replaced with elevators.
Of these 24 sections, one sits on the Eiffel Tower’s first floor, and three others were dispatched to the Musée d’Orsay, La Villette, and the Iron Museum in Paris.
The remaining sections were sold at auction and can be found around the world, from Disneyland to small-town Pennsylvania and even Japan.
Now, an anonymous seller is putting their fragment of the famous tower back on the auction block through Artcurial Auction.
The rare piece in question measures 8.5 feet tall and has remained in the same private collection for over four decades.
“He’s enjoyed it long enough,” Artcurial’s Art Deco specialist Sabrina Dolla told Artnet, “and now his circumstances are taking him elsewhere.”
The iron segment, which has recently been restored to its original brown color by the workshops that maintain the Eiffel Tower, is the fifth piece of the staircase to be resold since 2013.
In 2016, a similar piece sold for roughly $600,000 following a fierce bidding war.
In 2018, a staircase section was sold for $186,000, and in 2020, another was bought for $290,000.
Artcurial predicts the new piece could fetch upwards of $57,000.
“On May 21st, 2026, Artcurial’s Art Deco department will present a piece of Eiffel Tower history: a section of the original spiral staircase dating from 1889, designed under the supervision of Gustave Eiffel. This piece, section one of the staircase connecting the second and third floors, is estimated at €40,000- €50,000,” the auction house stated.
“Measuring 2.75 metres in total height (2.60 metres to the landing) and 1.75 metres in diameter, this structure, made of steel and riveted sheet metal, with 14 steps resting on a cross-shaped base, was part of the spiral staircase that once allowed visitors to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower.”
The wrought-iron lattice tower is among the most visited tourist sites in the world.
How tall is the Eiffel Tower?
Originally, the Eiffel Tower stood 1,024 feet; however, it has also been used for broadcast transmissions for more than 100 years, with the height of its pinnacle changing numerous times as aging antennas were replaced.
The 2022 addition of a DAB+ (digital audio) antenna boosted the tower’s height to 1,082 feet
The Eiffel Tower is typically open 365 days a year, but has faced periodic unplanned closures due to labor strikes.
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