Believe it or not, the Eiffel Tower was originally supposed to be in Barcelona. But thinking the thing would end up looking like an eyesore, the city rejected Gustave Eiffel's plans, and he was forced to repitch the project elsewhere.
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Eiffel originally pitched his tower to the city of Barcelona, Spain.
To understand the value of the Eiffel Tower, we can start with its beginning. It cost $1.5 million (USD) to build the tower in 1889. Adjusting for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), this comes to $44 million.
Unlike other arches symbolising triumph of a military conquest, such as the famous monument in Paris of the same name, Barcelona's was built to showcase the city's civil, artistic, architectural and economic development.
But though Eiffel's tower planned to set records, it wasn't without controversy. The building was radically industrial, and that chafed against the sensibilities of more refined Parisians.
People in Paris actually hated it at firstWhen the Eiffel Tower was built, many eminent intellectuals of the day (including famous French author Guy de Maupassant) protested vehemently against it, calling it 'a gigantic black smokestack' that would ruin the beauty of Paris.
His name probably doesn't speak to you, and yet Victor Lustig was one of the greatest crooks of his time. His biggest scam? Having successfully sold the Eiffel Tower to a scrap dealer. At what price ?
City of Paris ownershipToday, the City of Paris owns the Tower and has entrusted its management to a development company (SETE: Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel) of which it owns 99% of the capital. Bertrand Lemoine is an architect, engineer and historian.