Paris

le de la Citan island in the center

of the Seine Riversite of the citys earliest

settlementsParisii, a Celtic

people who settled in the 3rd century bc.first noted in Roman

general Julius Caesars commentary on the Gallic Wars written in probably 51 or 50 b.c.,describing Roman conquest of the city in 52 b.c.during the Roman occupation, the city (settlement) was called Lutetia

became a substantial Roman city during the 1st century a.d., spreading to what is now the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank, with a forum, two amphitheaters, an aqueduct, and baths. Some of these Roman structures still stand in the Left Bank, including baths, notably the Thermes de Cluny

collapse of the Roman empire (@ 400a.d.) and the fifth-century Germanic invasions sent the city (Lutetia) into declinereclaimed the name Paris towards the end of the Roman occupation

largely abandoned, the population retreated to (a fortified) le de la Cit

the Frankish (Germanic tribe) king Clovis I established Paris as his capital in 508 a.d.the western part of the le de la Cit remained the home to the kings of France through the 14th century.

the medieval palace was largely replaced by the massive 19th-century Palais de Justice (at left below) and the Conciergerie

western le de la Cit - Conciergerie

picturesque, maybe... but the Conciergerie was the "antechamber to the guillotine"within a 25 month period, between between April 1793 and 31 May 1795 nearly 2,600 people were sent to the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette

The three pointed towers at center are remnants of the medieval palace, with the furthest tower, the Bonbec, having housed the torture chamber

eastern le de la Cit Notre Dame

the eastern side of the le de la Cit is the spiritual center of France, represented by the Gothic cathedral of Notre DameOur Lady

begun 1163 a.d.

on the site of an ancient monument to the Roman god Jupiter

shared the eastern le de la Cit with many other churches until the square was significantly remodeled in the 19th centuryfirst (enlarged) by Napolean Bonaparte for his coronation as Emperor (1804)

then by Georges Eugne Haussmann under Napolean III (reigned 1852-70) the present aspect of le de la Cit is largely due to Haussmann, who cleared most of its old streets, mansions and churches.

What's with the 19th century?

Haussmann extensively redesigned Paris large sections of medieval Paris were swept away by his rebuilding.

most of central Paris as seen today, with broad avenues and six-story buildings, is Haussmanns legacyNot only aesthetic, but strategic, civil aim

Left or Right Bank?

arrondissements 1-20refers to neighborhoods

arrondissements 5,6,7,13,14,15 are Left Bank (smaller than Right Bank)left of the Seine River and le de la Cit when facing upstream (actually south)

the Latin Quarter is found in the 5th and 6th arrondissementscalled such because from

medieval times, when universities arose, through the late eighteenth century, latin was the official language of learning the University of Paris is

the oldest university in Europe (early 1200s a.d.)Montparnasse neiborhood is

found in the 14th arrondissementartistic center of Paris in the

first half of the 20th century

Left Bank - Thermes de Cluny

Roman bathhouseconstructed around the beginning of the 3rd century (200 a.d.)

ruins constitute about one-third of a once massive bath complex

baths were freely open to the public and a means of romanizing the ancient Gauls

Julian the Apostate (the last non-Christian ruler of the Roman Empire) was proclaimed Emperor in the Thermes de Cluny in February 360 a.d.

conveniently located across the street from Starbucks

In Latin Quarter (of Left Bank)

Left Bank Eiffel Tower

designed and built by the French civil engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel for the Paris World's Fair of 1889

Where is it?
(everywhere)

Left Bank Les Invalides & Napoleon's Tomb

Built between1670 and 1676 as a combination hospital for soldiers and a sort of retirement home for retired soldiers, known as a hpital des invalides (hospital for invalids).

the most recognizable feature of Les Invalides- the gold-capped dome - was added a few years later as a private royal chapel for King Louis XIV.

although he died in 1821, it wasnt until 1840 that Napolean Bonaparte's body was moved from the island of Saint Helena to Les Invalides. Then it wasnt until 1861 that Napoleons remains were moved to their present location under the dome.

Left Bank Musee d'Orsay

occupies the former Gare dOrsay, a train station built at the turn of the 20th century and served as the Paris station for trains coming from southern France until 1939. continued to be used for smaller and more local trains until the station was closed in 1973.

in 1977, the French government began converting the building into the Musee dOrsay, which opened in 1986.

houses works created between 1848 and 1914

we 'll have our own guide for this as well as all other museums on our trip

Left or Right Bank?

arrondissements 1-20refers to neighborhoods

Arrondissements 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are Right Bank (larger than Left Bank)right of the Seine River and le de la Cit when facing upstream (actually north)

The Upper Crust

upper crust refers to the wealthy who traditionally inhabited the Right Bankin part due to the elevation and the relative lesser odor as compared to that which accumulated on the Left Bank prior to more modern sanitation

The french term gauche, describing someone or something who is awkward, crude, or unsophisticated literally just means left and is a remnant of the historical class distinctions between those of the Right and Left Banks

Right Bank Avenue des Champs-Elysees

most famous street in Paris name mean Elysian Fields reference to Greek mythology, and refers to the part of the Underworld where virtuous souls rested for all eternity

home of the Arc de TriompheArch of Titus (you'll see it in Rome) inspired Napoleon to build this 19th-century tribute to his Grande Armee

built 1806-1836

unknown soldiers tomb added in 1921.

Right Bank Louvre

until 1682 a residence of the kings of France, is one of the largest palaces in the world occupies the site of a 13th-century fortress

covers 48 acres

glass pyramid entrance designed by American architect I.M. Pei

Right Bank Sacre Coeur

Constructed between 1875 and 1914travertine stone that makes up the basilica contains a substance which keeps it sparkling white

By having a church hovering just above the Pigalle district, it was hoped that some of the holiness might rub off on the wilder side of Paris. It didnt really work. The Moulin Rouge is still going strong and Pigalle is still considered the Red Light district of Paris.

Right Bank Centre Pompidou

named for former French President Georges Pompidou who governed in the early 1970s, was started in 1971 but not completed until 1977.

Right and Left Banks there's art in the streets!