The Paris conquered by the Romans in 55 BC was a small flood-prone fishing village on the Ile de la Cite, inhabited by the Parissii tribe. A Roman settlement soon flourished and spread on to the Left Bank of the Seine. The Franks succeeded the Romans, named the city Paris, and made it the centre of their kingdom. During the Middle Ages, the city flourished as a religious centre and architectural masterpieces such as Sainte-Chapelle were erected. It also thrived as a centre of learning, enticing European scholars to its great university, the Sorbonne.
Paris emerged during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment as a great centre of culture and ideas. Under the rule of Louis XIV, it also became a bity of immense wealth and power. But rule by the monarch gave way to rule by the people in the bloody Revolution of 1789.
By the early years of the new century, revolutionary fervour had faded and the brilliant militarist Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of France and pursued to make Paris the centre of the world.
Soon after the Revolution of 1848, a radical transformation of the city began. Baron Haussmann's grand urban scheme replaced Paris' medieval slums with elegant avenues and boulevards. By the end of the century, the city was the driving force of Western culture. This continued well into the 20th century, interrupted only by the German military occupation of 1940 to 1944.
Since the war, the city has revived and expanded dramatically, as it strives to be at the heart of a unified Europe.
