Parisian Culture

Paris is the most romantic city in the world. Whether you visit Paris in winter, summer, spring or autumn: Paris will make you feel like you’re in a fairytale. The many different nationalities and cultures in Paris blend together into something unique. This has a great influence on Parisian art, food and culture. World famous art and well known museums grant some of the best cultural experiences in the world. The Dali Museum, the Louvre and the Museum D’Orsay are all fantastic. The French movie industry is also big in Paris. Many movies are filmed, produced and eventually shown in the city.




History

Paris was ‘discovered’ by the Romans around 300 BC. The Celtic inhabitants, who called themselves the Parisii, occupied the region that is now known as Île de la Cité . There were conflicts between the Parisii and the Romans for many years. in 52 BC, Caesar took control of the territory. Christianity was introduced after 200 AD, when the Franks came to Paris. In 508 AD, Cloves I became king of France and made Paris the capital of his country. In the 12th century the foundations for the Notre Dame de Paris were laid. The Louvre was built in 1200, and the Sorbonne University opened its doors in 1253. During the Renaissance, Paris flourished; many buildings and monuments that now characterize the city were built in this period. In the 15th century, the new king Charles V erected a large wall around Paris.

18th Century Paris is heavily characterized by the French Revolution. On July 14th 1789, a large mob of revolting citizens stormed the Bastille, a state prison. They wanted to seize the ammunition caches inside the castle, but the governor wouldn’t let them. The castle was taken by the mob, the governor was killed and eventually the French Monarchy was overthrown. The 14th of July has been a day of national celebration ever since.

Needless to say, the French Revolution did not help the city’s economy. About 100,000 inhabitants fled the city. Several decades later, the people returned and Paris began to grow again because of new opportunities created by the Industrial revolution. Paris’ population boomed – as the city reached 1 million inhabitants, suburbs started to form.