"History of Paris" a Paris Travel Page by mickli

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Champs Elysées

Antiquity

Even though the site of today’s Paris has been inhabited for 700,000 years, the city’s history really began in the 3rd century BC. At this time, the Parisii, a tribe in Gaul, took up residence on the Île de la Cité, a strategic crossing point towards the north of the country and the tin trade. Aware of the strategic importance of the location, Julius Caesar sent his troops to crush the Gauls and seize the island.
This was in 52 BC and is known as the battle of Lutetia. The city was then rebuild by the occupying forces on the island and, on the left bank, along the northern slope of Sainte-Geneviève hill.

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Musée du Louvre

The Middle Ages

In 508, Clovis, king of the Franks, made Paris the capital of his kingdom. In the 8th century, the centre of the Carolingian Empire shifted to the Northeast. Yet the city took on a new dimension under Hugues Capet. Capet, Count of Paris was elected King of France in 987 and founded a new dynsasty, the Capetians. Then Louis VI, known as Louis the Fat, built a fortification, the Châtelet, around the rebuilt Grand-Pont (currently the Pont au change).
The construction of Notre-Dame cathedral began in 1163 (and was completed in 1345). Then, Philippe Auguste, a great urban planner, left his mark on Paris by surrounding it with walls and building the fortress of the Louvre. Paris is consecrated capital under his reign. In the 13th century, Paris was the most populated (approximately 200,000 inhabitants) and the richest city in the West.

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Tour Eiffel

The Modern Era

In the middle of the 16th century, under the reign of François 1st, the capital grew in beauty with Renaissance constructions, such as the new Louvre and the Hôtel de Ville. At this time, several historic buildings were built, including the Natural History Museum and the Luxembourg Palace. From the reign of King Henri IV, the city has the role of honouring the sovereign and praising his power. Royal squares were created for this purpose: Place Dauphine for Henri IV, Place de la Concorde for Louis XV, Place des Vosges for Louis XIII, etc.