Paris, May 22: A spiral section of the original Eiffel Tower staircase has been sold for more than €450,000 at an auction held in Paris, according to Artcurial auction house.
The 14-step iron segment, standing about 9 feet tall and weighing 1.4 tonnes, dates back to 1889, the year the Eiffel Tower was completed. The buyer, who was present in the auction room, secured the piece for €450,160 (approximately $521,825), significantly above its pre-sale estimate of €120,000 to €150,000.
The staircase section was part of a larger structure originally installed by Gustave Eiffel. In the 1980s, portions of the 526-foot staircase were dismantled and divided into segments, which were later sold as collectibles after elevators replaced the original stair system for visitor access.
According to Artcurial, the item represents not only a historic architectural piece but also a cultural symbol of Paris. Sabrina Dolla, Art Deco design director at the auction house, said the Eiffel Tower remains a strong emblem of French heritage and global imagination.
This is not the highest price recorded for such items. In 2008, another staircase segment sold for €550,000 to a private American collector. Similar sections are currently held in private collections and institutions worldwide, including sites near the Statue of Liberty in the United States and in Japan’s Yamanashi region.
Auction officials noted that renewed global interest in the Eiffel Tower, partly driven by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, has contributed to rising demand for historical memorabilia linked to the landmark.