PARIS FROM ITS ORIGINS TO THE MIDDLE AGES
History of Paris France

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Lutecia was rebuilt on a river Seine island setting of a Gaelic, capital town called the "Oppidum" which represented the county-town of the Parisii tribe. The name of Paris appeared in the IIIrd century; the town took the name of the tribe whose county-town it belonged to.

Lutèce took the name of Paris or "Parise" as early as the IVth century after J.C.

At the end of the IIIrd century, in 257 and 276, after the German invasions, a surrounding wall was set up to protect the “Ile de la Cité” from the rest of the town.

In the beginning, "Lutèce", (City of the Parisii) small population of the Celtic Gaul was only living on the "Ile de la Cité".

During Roman times, the town settled on the "Mont Sainte-Geneviève" then, the praetorium, the military command seat under the Romans, was established on the Island, in a fortified emplacement where the Court of Justice now stands.

Originally, a temple stood in the place of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. In the "Ile de la Cité" the first gathering place for Christians was established.

To protect the North-East borders, several emperors stayed in Lutèce, especially Julian, the Renegade, between 358 and 360, then Valentinian 1st, in 365.

In 275, the town was partially destroyed. Between the IIIrd and the Xth centuries, Paris kept the same population it had towards the decline of the Empire which was around 20.000 inhabitants.

In 508, Clovis, who was then, chief of Gaul, decided to reside in Paris. He gave this modest town an unquestionable prestige and built the Basilica of the Saint-Apostles (now Sainte-Geneviève Abbey), which helped towards his conversion and then, the first Saint-Denis Basilica.

Childebert Ist, third Clovis’s heir, who was King of Paris for 47 years, erected "Saint-Vincent" and "Sainte-Croix" (the actual "Saint-Germain-des-Prés"), then "Saint-Etienne" cathedral, the vastest edifice in the Christian Gaul, in the "Ile de la Cité", near his palace. His descendants benefited from their preference for the Parisian country but decided not to reside in the town itself.

The royal Palaces were set in Clichy, Chelles, Nogent. Dagobert (who was King from 629 to 638) and had the Saint-Denis Basilica renovated. He was the first King to have his sepulture in the Basilica.

At that time, the Right Bank was covered in marshes and woods where several churches such as "Saint-Gervais", "Saint-Jacques", "Saint-Laurent" emerged from the rubble.

Under the Merovingians there were four churches on the Right Bank and twelve on the Left Bank. Life slowly evolved around the churches, especially "Saint-Julien le Pauvre", "Saint-Marcel" and "Saint-Germain-des-Prés", which gained exceptional status.

At the beginning of the IXth century the Abbey included almost two hundred monks. No doubt it played an active part in the Left Bank’s development. The town itself was linked to both banks by way of two wooden bridges, the "Grand Pont" and the "Petit Pont". Then a terrible and sordid period arrived. The political involvement of Paris which was weak under the Merovingians became, under the Carolingians, non existent. While Pépin le Bref was buried in "Saint-Denis", his son "Charlemagne", was buried in "Aix-la-Chapelle".

Since Paris was not well protected it fell a prey to the Norman invaders. On several occasions, from 845 and during the famous siege of 885/6, they plundered and burnt down the town.

The suburban population protected itself within the town as danger approached. Before doing so and fearful of profanation, they transferred the sacred sepultures in suburban sanctuaries.

After endless heroic resistance Paris was rescued, but the outskirts were wiped out and the churches destroyed. Paris would come back into force with the Capetians.

Prosperity came back in the Xth century. The merchant activity was to give it a new boom. The less popular Left Bank was soon more open to cultural matters.

Then, came the reign of "Philippe Auguste". King Auguste managed to rebuild Paris for the second time. He married in Saint-Denis and settled down in the town of his birth which he loved.

During his reign, the town was cleaned up, cobbled, and filled with fountains. He set the City’s limits and achieved a major defensive system which protected Paris from an assault by the King of England.

He also decided to build the Louvre, a strong fortress facing towards Normandy, with a big clock becoming the symbol of royal authority.

In 1210, the Left Bank whose population were mostly students, was also surrounded by walls. The walls closed in the Sainte-Geneviève Abbey but left aside "Saint-Germain-des-Prés", which resulted in the village being cut into two separate parts. It included thirty-three towers in the North, thirty-four in the South as well as twelve big doors, six on each bank.

There were then three gates in Paris. The Right Bank known as “the city”, the Left Bank known as "the University" and the "Cité", political and religious center was the only emerging point of the river.

The monarchy then experienced an era of prosperity that Paris had not yet encountered. Henceforth, Paris became the most popular city and was sought after for all its achievements, especially concerning, its monuments, arts, activities and industries.

Under the reign of "Saint-Louis", grand’son of "Philippe Auguste", Paris became mostly an artistic centre. Two of the main architectural masterpieces remaining from that time, are the "Sainte-Chapelle" attached to the Court of Justice Palace and the "Saint-Martin des Champs" Refectory.

From an artistic point of view the death of Saint Louis was a major set back for Paris but, "Philippe le Bel" pursued his grandfather’s task. He transformed the "Palais de la Cité". Under his reign, an important financial, political and administrative current grew in Paris. (Parliament, Chamber of Commerce, etc…).

In 1356, during "Jean le Bon"’s captivity, the provost Etienne Marcel built a third surrounding wall. After his assassination, construction works continued under Charles V’s and VI’s reign until 1420.

These walls, protected to the East by the "Bastille Saint-Antoine", only enclosed the Right Bank (actual "Grands boulevards"). Unlike those of "Philippe Auguste" whose fragments are still visible today, the walls built under "Charles V" have now completely disappeared, except for some ruins which were recently brought to light in the Carrousel Yard. Together with the "Etienne Marcel" assault, Paris encountered its first rift with the Monarchy. "Charles V", hit by the violent events he witnessed, decided to leave the "Palais de la Cité", blooded by the walls. He then gave his preference to the Eastern residences ("Hôtel Saint-Pol" or "Château de Vincennes").

As later did Louis XIV, and for the same reasons, he considered transferring his whole Royal Court to Vincennes but time was running out for him and his project was never fulfilled.

Following the English invasion, referred to as "The One Hundred Year war", the City was practically ruined by an economic depression and had already been weakened by the Black Plague in 1348 which had become the shelter of the suburban population.

Around 1420 a revival took place. Again, much activity began in the building of churches and reconstruction. "Charles VII", new to Paris then , decided to leave and instead made his way to the River Loire borders to which the other Kings "Louis XI" and "Charles VIII", would also remain faithfull.

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