The city we know as Paris has an ancient history.  A tribe known as the Parisii lived a quiet life on a small island (Ile de la Cité) in the middle of the River Seine.  But sometime between the years of 56 and 52 BCE, life changed.  Julius Caesar was then the emperor of Rome and wanted all the known world to be a part of his kingdoms.  It was during the conquest of Gaul that the Romans discovered the island and its people.  Soon there was a flourishing Roman center in its place.  The name was changed to Lutetia, and when the city became too large for the small island, it expanded to what is now known as the Left Bank..

Sometime, during the 3^rd century AD, the city became Christian and St. Denis became the city’s first bishop.  The process of becoming a Christian city was not entirely peaceful.   In about the year 250 ADE,  St Denis and two companions were arrested and decapitated on the hill of Mons Mercurius, where Roman foundations have been found.  Thereafter, the hill became known as Mons Martyrum (Martyrs' Hill), that we now call Montmartre.  The Basilica of Sacre Coeur tops the hill today.

The Franks, who succeeded the Romans, renamed the city Paris.

During the Middle Ages, Paris thrived as a center of learning and as a great center of architecture.  It was at this time that the Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame (1163-1394, and the magnificent Sainte-Chapelle, both on the Ile-de-la-Cite, were erected, and European scholars discovered the great university in Paris, the Sorbonne.  King Louis IX, who was a very devout king, acquired the Crown of Thorns from the Emperor of Constantinople in 1239.  Other relics, such as a fragment of the cross of Christ, were acquired in 1241.  Sainte-Chapelle was built to house these relics.  It is said that Louis paid three times more for the relics than he did for the whole construction of Sainte-Chapelle.                        !

The Age of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment established Paris as the center of culture and arts in Europe.  (The name, Paris, the City of Light, comes from the time of the Enlightenment and has nothing to do with the lights in the city today.)  Louis XIV, the Sun King, ruled as Emperor and brought wealth and power to the city.  You can see some of Renaissance Paris today in some of the most beautiful buildings.  Notable are the Palace of Versailles, and the Dome Church adjoining l’Hotel des Invalides.  Napoleon’s remains were buried in the crypt under the dome is 1840.

The bloody Revolution of 1789 ended the monarchy and gave way to rule by the people.  But, by the early 1800’s, the people’s fervor had faded and Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of France in 1804.  Notable from this period are the Arc de Triomphe, the Madeleine Church, and Chateau Malmaison. 

In 1848, Napoleon’s nephew took over the reins of power by a coup d’état.  He proclaimed himself Napoleon III in 1851.  It was during this period that Paris became the most magnificent city in Europe.  The crowded streets of medieval Paris were demolished, and a well-ordered and transformed city emerged.  The Place de l’Etoile (the star, with the Arc de Triomphe at the center) became a focal point, and the creation of the Bois de Boulogne gave the residents a popular place to walk.

The terrible Franco-Prussian Wars culminated in the Siege of Paris.  But peace came to the city in 1871 and the Third Republic was in control and brought with it the mandate for economic recovery.  This was the Era of the Belle Epoque (the beautiful age), and included the invention of the telephone, airplanes, the gramophone, and movies.  The Grand Palais and the Petit Palais are notable structures dating from this period.

No story of Paris is complete without some discussion about the Louvre, the world’s largest museum.  It was first built as a fortress in 1190, to protect Paris against Viking Raids.  King Francois I replaced the building with a Renaissance-style one.  During the next four centuries, various kings and emperors enlarged it and improved it.  The last addition, the glass pyramid designed by I. M. Pei, was opened in 1989.  All galleries can be reached from it.

One of the last great museums to be built in Paris is the Musee d’Orsay. The building, itself, has been home to a German count, and a railroad station that closed in 1986, and now houses Napoleon’s Legion of Honor and his sword and breastplate.  The museum was originally set up to present the arts of 1848 to 1914, the Impressionist Period, and here you will find some of the great works of Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, and others.

The most well-known symbol of Paris is, of course, the 319 meter-high Eiffel Tower.  It was originally built to impress visitors to the Universal Exhibition of 1889, and was meant to be only temporary and, at the time, was very unpopular.  Its designer, Gustave Eiffel, lived from 1832 to 1923.  The tower houses one of Paris’s finest restaurants, the Jules Verne Restaurant, located at the second level.

One of the most famous streets in the world is the Champs-Elysées; a broad boulevard with wide pavements, fine restaurants, sidewalk cafes, upscale shops, and movie theaters.  It’s the place to go to see and be seen.  It’s most famous focal point is the Arc de Triomphe.  Begun in 1806, it was not completed until 1836.  It is not only the starting point for most parades, it is the resting place of France’s unknown soldier from World War I.

Crowning one of the hills of Paris, Montmartre, is the basilica of Sacre Cœur, dedicated to the sacred heart of Christ.  At the outbreak of the Franco Prussian War, in 1870, two businessmen made a private religious vow that if France were spared the Prussian onslaught, they would build this church.  France was spared, and construction was begun in 1875.  It was completed in 1814.  Today the streets surrounding the basilica are crowded with artists, souvenir shops, and musicians.  It is a mecca for tourists and the views of the city are spectacular!

The Place de la Concorde is at the end of the Tuilleries Gardens and at the beginning of the Champs-Elysées.  At its center is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, donated by the Egyptian government.  However, it is notable as the place where Marie Antoinette, and others, were beheaded during the French Revolution.

Of course, there are many more things to be seen in Paris.  Get yourself a good guidebook and have fun walking under the trees that frame the River Seine, or taking a day or evening tour by boat.  Paris is a very walk-able city, and you can always stop at one of the many street cafes to rest, have a snack, or have a drink.  Certainly, don’t miss seeing Paris at night, with its monuments and churches bathed in light.

We guarantee that you will love Paris at any time of year!

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