Paris History

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A haven for artists, a breath of fresh air for jetsetters, a pleasant mix of old and new sights for travelers, a romantic escapade for honeymooners – these are the things that Paris, the “City of Lights”, has been associated with all of these years. As France’s capital and the largest city in continental Europe, Paris history spans more than two centuries. To have a deeper understanding of what made Paris the dynamic city that it is today, take a look at some of the key dates which showcase Paris history at a glance:

Early History of Paris (4200 B.C - 400 A.D.) The Ile de la Cité is where the Celtic tribes called the Parisii first settled. Ile de la Cité is an island which is located about 233 miles upstream from the Seine River’s mouth on the English Channel. By 400 A.D., Lutéce – which was originally named Lutetia – became a garrison town. It was only by the end of the Roman occupations that the city was named Paris.

Medieval Paris (12th to 13th Century) This was the period in Paris history when key monuments and important sites were built, including the Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral. The beginning of the century also signaled the construction of a fortress which includes the Louvre, as well as the rest of what we now know as Medieval Paris.

15th to 17th Century During this time, the Louvre was build and became the political center of France. However, the Ile de la Cité along with the Cathedral of Notre Dame remained the spiritual center of the French Kingdom throughout the Paris Renaissance.

1800′s Paris during the French Revolution in the late 1800′s was in a physical and societal chaos, prompting Napoleon III (who led Paris during the Second Empire) to do a total renovation of the city. This was the period of the city when high structures were built along with beautiful parks, sweeping vistas and tree-lined boulevards. Basically, it was during the middle of the 19th century that the Paris that we know of today was built under the direction of Napoleon III. Want to know about Napoleon Bonaparte? Visit our Napoleon Bonaparte page. Perhaps this was the period in Paris history which was the most colorful. Also called the “La Belle Epoque” period, it is during this time that music, fashion and the arts thrived.

1900′s Paris during the World Wars was in chaos. From 1940 to 1944, the city of Paris was occupied by the Germans. By 1942, there was a massive deportation of French Jews and by 1944, the city of Paris is liberated by the Allied Forces. By learning a bit about some of the key dates in Paris history, from the early to contemporary Paris, you would have an idea about the events which turned the City of Lights into the dazzling place that it has become today.