The city of lights and love is incomparable. The rivers Seine and Loire, the art, the cafes, the exuberant history, the fashion runways and museums—Paris is all of these plus architecture, cuisine and attitude! The following offerings relate to Paris past and present and cover a myriad of topics including people, events, landmarks and much more!
A Celtic tribe, the Gaul Parisii, settled on the islands of present-day Paris in about 300 BC.
The Romans, under the command of Julius Caesar, renamed their city Lutetia when they defeated the Gauls of the area.
St. Genevieve became the patron saint of the city for repelling the Huns in 451. The Latin Quarter of the city contains The Pantheon built in her honor.
The Capetian Dynasty began in 987 when Hugues Capet was crowned King of France. His father was Hugh the Great, a Parisian count and Frankish duke.
The building of the renowned cathedral Notre Dame began in 1163. Its name signifies the Virgin Mary. Interestingly, the cathedral witnessed the crowning of Napoleon as emperor in 1804.
The Louvre was initially built as a fortress in 1204 against Vikings. It was later occupied as a royal palace. It has been a public museum since 1793. Last year it greeted 8.3 million visitors.
Louis IX was born in 1214. He famously fought in the Crusades by died from a plague in Tunis.
The Sorbonne University was founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbonne. It was one of the most important learning centers of the medieval world.
Clovis I established his capital at Paris. He founded the Merovingian Dynasty.
France’s first national theatre was founded in 1680 and called Comedie-Francaise.
Anges-Jacques Gabriel designed the Place de la Concorde in 1755.
A Parisian mob stormed the Bastille on July 14, 1789. The French celebrate this day as Fete Nationale. The French Revolution took place from 1789 to 1815. Today it is remembered for its violence under the aptly named Reign of Terror.
The Revolution’s terror came to a conclusion when Robespierre was put to the guillotine in 1794. Although born in Arras, he was actually of Irish descent. Legend claims that he was the only person guillotined facing upward.
Parisian mimes still entertain on city streets. Marcel Marceau is considered the world’s most famous mime.
The Ile De La Cite on the River Seine is famously home to Notre Dame, the Saint Chapelle, Palais de Justice, the Place Dauphine and the Square du Vert Galant.
The Eiffel Tower sits on the Champs de Mars. It is 1063 feet high including its antenna. At the time of its completion in 1887 it was the tallest structure in the world.
Les Halles was once the premier and centrally located marketplace in Paris.
Perhaps the best known street in Paris is the Champs Elysees. It contains many theatres, cafes, and world-class shops. The Arc de Triomphe sits on the western end of the Champs Elysees.
The hill of Montmartre is situated on the Right Bank of the city and was once a famous artist district containing studios by the likes of Dali and Picasso. The Moulin Rouge sits near the Montmarte.
The Hotel Ritz Paris contains the Coco Chanel Suite that was once the residence of the influential designer.
Le Marais is a popular cultural district in Paris—it is also the neighborhood where Doors’ singer Jim Morrison died in 1971.
The famous Catacombs of Paris lie beneath Montparnasse.
The Hotel de Crillon is one of the oldest hotels operating in Paris today. The luxury hotel once received Emperor Hirohito of Japan for a stay.
Today Paris is still considered the premier center for fashion and leads Europe culturally as in previous centuries.
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