Paris Weekend Break

A brief history of Paris

Like many European cities, Paris started life as Celtic town and has a history that dates back almost two and a half thousand years. The Paris of today is a very different place and one that has seen much evolution.

Early history

The first settlement in the present day Paris dates back to around 250 BC when some Celts, known as the Parisii (from which the city derives its name) built the first civilised settlement there.

The location is a perfect one with many geographical advantages, not least of which is the river Seine which made it an ideal trade route.

The next big development for this emerging city was the arrival of the Roman Empire. The Romans expanded Paris, although at that time they named it Lutetia, and it was still nothing more than a town.

By the third century AD, Paris was a Christian settlement and in the same century it was renamed Paris.

Throughout the next couple of centuries Paris would see war, unrest, pestilence and a catalogue of difficulties shape its development, but by the sixth century the city of Paris had grown and was now a major force in the medieval world.

Even so invasions continued and the Vikings in particular raided the town many times with massive forces and hundreds of ships.

The development of a nation

It was during medieval times that Paris became the seat of the crown and the nation of France started to radiate out from this now powerful metropolis. The twelfth century saw landmark buildings like the famous Notre Dame cathedral and a stronghold city wall. But there were also disasters like the plague and civil uprising of the fourteenth century.

In the early fifteenth century the English captured Paris and another landmark moment in history occurred with Joan of Arc and the later recapture of Paris by the French. Further troubles, this time religious, arose over the course of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, but even so Paris continued to grow and prosper.

Throughout this time Paris also had an established and powerful monarchy with influence through political and military power. This monarchy was one of the constants in the growth of this important city.

A different dynasty

In 1789 a chain of event started what was ultimately to become the French revolution. The symbolic event took place on 14 July when the Bastille was overrun, and by 1791 the French royals were nothing short of prisoners. The situation got progressively worse with daily executions becoming a conveyor belt process until some more liberal influences started to have an impact on the politics of the time.

The very end of the eighteenth century saw the promotion of an officer called Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a brilliant soldier and tactician and by 1804 he had claimed control of the country and declared himself Emperor. This was not only a steadying influence on France, but also a great benefit for Paris which, as Bonaparte’s home and base would benefit from his military and political success.

Sadly, at least for Paris, the years of the Emperor were comparatively short lived, but his influence still survives today. Bonaparte was a great republican and a man intent on equality and accessibility for all of the peoples of Paris and France.

Modern Paris

In its more recent history Paris has experienced the industrial revolution and seen the French empire, like so many others, fraction away. The city has also experienced two European and world wars, although with little destruction to the fabric of the city.

Today Paris is seen as glamorous, romantic and exclusive and its two and a half thousand years of history suggest that it has much in store for the future.