Section of the Eiffel Tower staircase is auctioned for more than R$2.6 million

A spiral segment of the Eiffel Tower's original staircase was sold for more than €450,000 (about R$2.6 million) at an auction in Paris, France, on Thursday (21).

The buyer, who was present in the auction room, became the owner of a section of 14 steps that measure 2.7 meters high, weigh 1.4 tons and date back to 1889, the year in which the monument towering over the center of Paris was completed.

"When you buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower, you are buying a piece of Paris, along with all the imagination and symbolism it represents," said Sabrina Dolla, director of Art Deco design at the Artcurial Paris auction house, where the sale took place.

Section of Eiffel Tower staircase auctioned - Reuters

More than four decades ago, a total of 160 meters of staircase were cut into smaller sections and sold, replaced by elevators that today take visitors to the highest viewing platform of the Eiffel Tower.

The section auctioned on Thursday was sold for €450,160 (around R$2.6 billion), triple the maximum limit of its estimated value before the sale, which was between €120 and €150 thousand. In 2008, a section was sold to a private American buyer for a record €550,000.

Other pieces of the Eiffel Tower staircase, ranging from 2.7 to 9 meters, are housed in prestigious locations around the world. Some parts are preserved near the Statue of Liberty in New York; at the Yoshi Foundation gardens in Yamanashi, Japan; as well as in foreign private collections.

Dolla said the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which saw landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde and the Grand Palais take center stage at the games, boosted the tower's appeal among collectors.

She added that the event organizers have definitely noticed a renewed interest in what the tower symbolizes and its aesthetic appeal.

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Source: CNN