Other Paris Theme:

Medieval Paris

If you were to look at a map of medieval Paris you would see that city was shaped in a circle from the Louvre to Les Halles, on the right bank, and Saint Germain and the Latin Quarter, on the Left bank. At its circumfrance was Ile de la Cité, where rose the Merovingian Palace (present location of the Conciergerie) and Notre Dame, Church and State! It is in this circle that you can still find remnants of Paris’s medieval past: the rise of Paris as capital, Christianity and gothic architecture and art.

Historical Content
Paris is a city born as a capital from the onset of medieval times.  In the final days of the Roman Empire, Paris, known as Lutece by the Romans, was a city emptied by the numerous barbarian attacks. With Rome out of the way and little left to cling to, survivors of the city reclaimed the name Paris, from Parisii, the name of the area’s original inhabitants. One of the inhabitants of this medieval town was Genevieve. At a very young age Genevieve took up the Paris cause. When the city risked attack by the Huns she called for prayer; the city was left alone. When the Merovingian ‘King of Franks’ marauded, she cleared roads into the city to bring the Parisians food. Her passion for Paris was overwhelming and she succeeded in convincing the Merovingian Kings to make peace with Paris. In 508, Clovis, became the first Christian king and made Paris his capital. He built Genvieve an abbey, Saint Etienne du Mont. All that remains of the ancient abbey is the Tower of Clovis, which is now part of the Lycée Henri IV. On Ile de la Cité the Merovingian Kings constructed their palace and the city began once again to grow.

In 737, the Carolingians came to power, preferring a roaming capital, moved power away from Paris. However the Carolingian kings became weak, and the wealthy Counts of Paris, in 987, reclaimed the crown for the Capetians under Hugh Capet. Capet returned the capital to Paris. During Capetian rule construction began on Notre Dame. The Bishop of Sully felt that the former cathedral had been a pulpit for the Counts of Paris. He wanted to make a new church ‘holy’ under the new dynasty of kings.

Capetian glory would hit a high point in Paris with King Phillipe Auguste (1180). He expanded and covered the outdoor market of Les Halles, began construction of the mighty Louvre fortress ( parts of which still survive in the Louvre), advanced work on Notre Dame and built the first University of Paris, making Paris the first city of teachers in the medieval world.
The Capetian King Louis IX, later canonized as Saint Louis, would continue to build Paris as a city of architecture and intellect. He expanded upon the Merovingian Palace, known today as the Conciergerie, by building the Saint Chapelle to display the crown of thorns and a piece of the cross. The only remaining parts of this medieval palace during his time include the Saint Chapelle, the Salle de Gens d’Armes and the three towers (Caesar Tower, Silver Tower and Bonbec Tower). Bonbec translates to ‘good beak’, named so for the unusual singing that could be heard coming from the tower. It was in fact the torture room for the palace!

Paris became in the 13th century the biggest city in Christian Europe.  The 14th century; however, brought darker times: the population was reduced by famine and by plague. The hundred years war between France and England made Paris the scene of unrest as it was technically occupied by the English. The city was gradually reclaimed in 1436 by Charles VII, the French King whom Joam of Arc had liberated.

Medieval – Rennaissance Paris

Peace and prosperity returned in the second half of the 15th century, in a kingdom once again unified. The Hôtel de Sens and the Hôtel de Cluny were the last gothic art constructions to be built in Paris. Hotel Cluny is today an impressive museum dedicated medieval Paris and housing the famous tapestry, The Lady and the Unicorn. Paris, however, would not resume its role as capital until 1515, under François I, the first Renaissance king of France!

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