Cities are constantly evolving.
As the city changes, older buildings are taken down or repurposed and new ones are erected. Street levels rise as new buildings are built over top. They get bigger, or smaller, and sometimes even have their physical geography altered.
So can you trace the history of a city through its buildings? Yes, you can!
Despite the changes the city undergoes, it’s often possible to find traces of earlier eras – if you know where to look.
Keep reading to discover the history of Paris – in 10 buildings!
Quick note for my pedantic friends: Yes, I’ll be cheating a bit here in that some of the buildings are outside of what would have been the city of Paris at the time they were built, but are, with one notable exception, part of the modern city of Paris.
Table of Contents
Roman Paris: Thermes de Cluny
The settlement of Paris goes as far back as the Mesolithic period – some 10,000 years ago.
There isn’t much left of this ancient settlement (although still enough for archaeologists to have discovered it), or of the subsequent settlement of the Celtic Parisii tribe, from whom the modern city gets its name.
But there are more traces to be found of the next phase in Paris’ history – from its time as a Roman military base called Lutetia. While there are a few places around Paris where you can find Roman ruins, perhaps the most impressive are the Thermes de Cluny, the largest and most important Roman ruins north of the Loire.
Likely constructed sometime in the 1st or 2nd century AD, they are now incorporated into the Musée de Cluny, Paris’ museum dedicated to medieval art.
Early Medieval Paris: Saint-Pierre de Montmartre
As the Roman Empire declined, Germanic tribes began to move in. The Franks (who later gave their name to France) emerged as the most prominent of these. The first of the two successive Frankish dynasties, the Merovingians, would make Paris their capital.
The Merovingians began a building campaign in Paris, but little survives. One place where they have come down to us is at Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, one of the oldest churches in Paris.
The church is said to have been built on site of the martyrdom of Saint Denis, Paris’ first bishop and patron saint. And while most of the current structure dates from the 12th century, four marble Merovingian columns have survived, as well as some sarcophagi from the period.
High Medieval Paris: Sainte-Chapelle
The Capetian dynasty came to power in the 10th century and set about transforming Paris into a major economic center.
While there was lots that happened during the high Middle Ages in Paris – the founding of the Sorbonne as a preeminent institute of learning, the construction of the Basilica of Saint-Denis, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre, the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War – one of the major events was the bringing of the relics of the Passion of Christ into Paris.
The saintly King Louis IX had purchased the relics at great expense from the Latin Emperor of Constantinople. In 1239, he brought them to Paris and deposited them at the Sainte-Chapelle, his purpose-built chapel. While the relics have been removed, Sainte-Chapelle’s stained-glass windows are among the most impressive and extensive in the world – a testament to Paris’ religious devotion and accompanying architectural achievements of this era.
Want to check out more Paris churches? Take a look at the 12 best here!
You can also discover more medieval Parisian sites in my Walking Tour through Medieval Paris!
Renaissance Paris: La Fontaine des Innocents
The Protestant Reformation swept European in the 16th century and Paris was not unaffected. The political and religious strife that embroiled the city culminated in the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572, in which thousands of French Protestants (known as Huguenots) were killed.
Despite the tumult, the Renaissance kings of France beautified their city by constructing new buildings in the style brought from Italy. One of these that can still be seen today is the Fontaine des Innocents, which was built in the late 1540s to commemorate the entry of King Henry II into Paris.
17th and 18th Century Paris: Palace of Versailles
Paris continued to grow into the 17th century, eventually gaining a reputation as a cultural center of Europe. However, the greatest building project of the time took place a little outside of the city itself.
Distrustful of Paris after having been held hostage there as a boy, King Louis XIV made Versailles his seat of power. Located some two hours away from Paris (modern transportation has made it much more accessible – you can now get there in about 40 minutes from the center of Paris), the magnificent palace and gardens of Versailles stand today as a testament to Louis’ impeccable aesthetic and the excesses of royalty that led in part to the French Revolution.
Revolutionary Paris: La Conciergerie
In 1789, discontent among the lower classes erupted into the French Revolution. The opening act of the revolution was the storming of the Bastille. Most famously, King Louis XVI, his queen Marie Antoinette, revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre, and others were executed by guillotine at the Place de la Concorde.
While the Bastille and the Place de la Concorde are certainly emblematic of the Revolution, you may want to check out the Conciergerie if you want to delve into the city’s history during this period. Many victims were imprisoned at the Conciergerie, a former royal palace. Here, they were kept in deplorable conditions before several met their end at the guillotine – including Marie Antoinette.
Nowadays, an interactive exhibit takes you through the history of the Revolution, the lives of some of its victims, and the room where Marie Antoinette herself was imprisoned. It’s the reason I give La Conciergerie the edge over other places in Paris associated with the French Revolution, like the Place de la Concorde; I felt I learned a lot about the Revolution and its victims while visiting a place that played such a prominent role during those times.
Napoleonic Paris: Arc de Triomphe
The chaos of the French Revolution created a power vacuum that was eventually filled by a highly ambitious, highly capable soldier from the island of Corsica: Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon set up about expanding French territories through a series of stunningly successful military campaigns and eventually crowned himself emperor.
To celebrate his victories, Napoleon had the Arc to Triomphe built, mimicking the triumphal arches of Ancient Rome. Located at the center of the meeting point of twelve avenues on the Champs-Élysées, it lists the French victories of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as the names of over 600 people, most of whom were French generals. Later, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added to its base.
Second Empire: Haussmann building project
Napoleon was eventually defeated, the Bourbon monarchy restored, then exiled again, and Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, came to power. The new Napoleon dreamed of modernizing Paris, ostensibly to improve the lives of its inhabitants. He tasked Georges-Eugène Haussmann for this project.
Until Haussmann began work in the 1850s, Paris’ layout was still comprised of narrow, dark, winding medieval streets. Haussmann did away with all that by creating large, open boulevards.
This was controversial, as entire neighborhoods were razed to make way for the new construction. There is also debate about whether the wide boulevards were intended to help the army crush popular uprisings more effectively. (Only one significant uprising, the Paris Commune 1871, occurred after the reconstruction of Paris and was quickly suppressed.)
After demolishing the old houses, Haussmann created uniform apartment buildings, whose cream-colored stone and mansard roof help give Paris its air of romance and are still prevalent throughout the city today.
Belle Époque: Eiffel Tower
France suffered a humiliating defeat after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, but what came after that was a golden age of wealth and innovation known as the Belle Époque.
During this time, new ideas flourished and new inventions developed. The artistic movement Impressionism emphasized light and color, and depicted everyday contemporary life. Planes took to the air. And in Paris, electric lights were installed, giving the city the nickname, “The City of Light.”
Perhaps the most enduring symbol of the Belle Époque is the Eiffel Tower. The 1,083 ft (330m) tower was the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair, an exposition of the world’s technological achievements. The Eiffel Tower showcased France’s industrial spirit and technological know-how – at the time, it was the tallest structure in the world.
Originally meant to be temporary, the Eiffel Tower was kept standing thanks to popular demand, although some Parisians at the time deemed it a monstrosity. Today, it is the most recognizable symbol of Paris.
Modern Paris: La Pyramide du Louvre
The Belle Époque lasted until 1914 – when the First World War broke out. Not even 30 years later, Paris suffered another world war, but was spared destruction. The Nazi commander of occupied Paris, Dietrich von Choltitz, took credit for saving the city despite orders from Hitler to destroy it. Whether this was true or not remains a matter of debate.
Paris recovered quickly after the war. French presidents took to making their mark through building projects. The most famous of these was the “Grand Louvre” initiated by François Mitterrand, which involved remodeling the former-palace-turned-museum.
Part of the project was the building of a glass pyramid designed by American architect I. M. Pei. Intended to fit in with the surrounding Renaissance architecture while fulfilling the practical need for more space to accommodate the high volume of visitors, the pyramid, like the Eiffel Tower before it, generated controversy from critics who deemed it an eyesore.
Despite the naysayers, the Pyramide du Louvre has becomeone of the most recognizable landmarks of Paris since it opened in 1989. It is perhaps the most outstanding example of Paris’ dedication to its history while embracing the future – a harmonious blend of both the old and the new.
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