Paris

Paris is the largest city and capital of France, home of the Notre Dame and the Sac-La-Cour cathederals.

Patron Saints

 * Denis
 * Genevieve

INTRODUCTION


The splendid city of Paris is both the capital of France and its largest city. It is situated on the River Seine, in northern France, at the center of the Île-de-France region (aka "Région Parisienne," "Paris Region"). Starting out as a small settlement of diverse Gallic and Celtic culture groups, Paris continued to grow, with intermittent periods of decline, down through history, ending up with an estimated population of 2.1 million inhabitants. Its metropolitan area has close to 13 million, and is noted to be one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. Paris is held to be the most popular tourist destination in the world, with over 30 million foreign visitors per year.

In addition to its astounding development, Paris contains a vast number of celebrated landmarks, along with world famous institutions and parks. Inside the city of Paris lies the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, the Saint Denis Cathedral, built in honor of Saint Denis, the outstanding patron saint of France and the first Bishop of Paris. Another highly-revered structure that was destroyed by the French Republic during the French Revolution, was the Abbey Church of Saint Genevieve, the extraordinary patron Saint of Paris.

== History  ==

Paris' history spans over 2,500 years, with archaeological findings revealing an ancient habitation of the region around 4000BC by a tribe called the Chasseen. Later, various Celtic and Gallic tribes settled there, such as the Parisii [250AD], a culture from whom Paris gets its name.

Like many renowned cities of the past, the history of Paris was very turbulent. The diverse tribal groups, while yet agricultural, were in constant civil war until the region came under Roman rule during the Roman Empire period. This domination by Rome came about as a result of an uprising led by the well-known Celtic leader Vercingetorex, and the local inhabitants. The Romans dominated the region culturally as well as politically, stripping them of their own language and religion and making them succumb to Roman taxes and laws. A Roman-Gallic settlement along the Seine called Lutetia [Roman Paris] was created by Rome. The Roman-dominated city of Lutetia grew large under Roman rule until the invasion by Attila the Hun and a crushing defeat of the Romans by Childeric I of the Salian Franks. Attilla drove out the Romans and Childeric's victory brought an end to Roman rule in the area. Soon after, Frankish [German] Kings such as Clovis I [Merovingians] and Charlemagne [Carolingians] reigned over Gaul [France, Western Europe], uniting the diverse populations and creating a Christian Empire. (Charlemagne of the Carolingian Dynasty was the first to receive papal coronation as Emperor of the Romans. Charles V was the last Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned by the Pope. Francis II, abdicated in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars that saw the Holy Roman Empire's final dissolution. )

Later, France would become embroiled in factional Wars [Wars of Religion] between Catholic and Protestants. The election of monarch Louis XV [1789] was a major turning point in Paris and France's history. His election led to the reactionary violence by the opprerssed people as they decided to take matters into their own hands and irradicate an unjust regime. In 1792, the new monarch, King Louis, and his wife Queen Marie-Antoinette were executed. The subsequent storming of the Bastille in Paris, marked the start of the French Revolution that would bring about an end to the unjust monarchical system in France and ushur in the French Republic. Yet this wouldn't last, for General Napoleon's election Emperor of France in 1804 but abdicates in 1814. Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew or son of Louis Bonaparte, was elected the first President of the FrenchRepublic, during the SecondRepublic, but soon (1852) he himself dismantled this Republic and replaced it with the Second Empire of France (1852)--with himself as its Emperor. He was the first titular president and the last monarch of France. The Industrial was the French Second Empire.

Under Napoleon III, the city underwent a massive renovation, with whole districts being levelled from the narrow winding medieval streets into a network of wide avenues and buildings with neo-classical façades.  The constitution of Oct. 4, 1958 provided the institutional basis for the FifthRepublic (France's current political system). The President functions as the head of the state and is elected for five years under universal suffrage. The current President is Nicolas Sarkozy, who was elected in 2007 to replace outgoing President Jacques Chirac.

Early Settlement in Paris
It should be noted that Paris is a city in the region of Gaul. [Gaul is another name for modern-day France.] In an historical context, however, the name is used when referring to the region of Western Europe which is equivalent to the area of present day France and Belgium, but also includes the Po Valley, western Switzerland, and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River Rhine.

As noted above, the Chasseens, [also Gauls] are documented to be the earliest inhabitants of the Paris region, settling there around 4000-3800BC. The region was later populated by various indigenous European tribes called the Celts. The Romans, rulers of the region, made it the center of a Roman settlement shortly after 52BC, naming it Lutetia. History shows that the Parisii lived in Roman Lutetia [aka Roman Paris] around 250AD, during which time it was renamed Paris, after them. Significantly, at this time, [Lutetia] Paris was also home to a small Christian community that was being subjected to terrible persecution by the Emperor Decius - to the point that it was nearly dissolved. In response to this alarming situation, Pope Fabian sent Saint Denis to Paris in 250AD to convert the Gauls. The city was Christianized after Saint Denis became its first Bishop. Pope Fabian's ultimate goal was to forge a link between the Gauls and Christ's apostles. .

'''A. The Chasseen [c. 4000BC-3500BC]'''

The Chasseen culture inhabited an area near the SeineRiver, called Bercy, then spread throughout the plains and plateaux of France, including the upper Loire valleys and beyong; continuing to occupy the area down through the Bronze and Iron Ages, the Roman period and even into the Middle Ages [500-1600AD]. It has been found that around 3500 BC, the Chasséen culture in France had been absorbed into the late Neolithic Seine-Oise-Marne [SOM] culture (3100BC - 2000 BC) in Northern France and a series of cultures in Southern France

Archaeological evidence shows that they maintained their existence by farming and fishing. Findings include dugout wood canoes, pottery, bows and arrows, and wood and stone tools. They consumed various agricultural products such as rye, panic grass, millet, apples, pears, prunes). This group also herded sheep, goats, and oxen. They lived in huts, and were organized into small villages (100-400 people). Their pottery was simple and they had no metal technology, although they did master the use of flint for tools..

B. The Seine-Oise-Marne (SOM) [3100-2000BC] The Seine-Oise-Marne culture is the name given to the last discovered culture group that inhabited northern France. It lasted from around 3100 to 2000 BC and was most famous for its stone tombs. In the chalk valley of the River Marne, archaeologists found rock-cut tombs that were had been dug according to a similar design as that of the SOM culture.

Artifacts from this period include transverse arrowheads, antler sleeves and crude, cylindrical and bucket-shaped pottery decorated with appliqué cordons. The SOM's trade links with neighbouring cultures such as Brittany and the Loire, enabled them to use flint and later, copper.

The culture may have arisen from a composite of influences as shown by their grave designs, which were found to be common across Europe. Archaeologists have also discovered comparisons to SOM pottery styles, in Western France, Brittany, Switzerland and Denmark dating from around 2600BC.

'''C. The Celts [c. 2000BC]'''