To
put it bluntly, Paris is an OLD city.
Some of the earliest anthropological and
archaeological remains in Europe have
been found in France, yet little is known
of France (or what became to be known
as Paris) before the Roman conquest in
the 1st century BC. France (as it was
then) was known to the Romans as Gaul,
and has gone through MANY changes since
then.
What is known in that Julius Caesar conquered
Paris in 52 BC. Back then it was little
more than a fishing village, called Lutetia
Parisiorum (the Parisii were a Gallic
tribe). Under the Romans the town spread
to the left bank and acquired considerable
importance under the later emperors. The
vast catacombs under Montparnasse and
the baths remain from the Roman period.
Legend says that St. Denis, first bishop
of Paris, was martyred on Montmartre (hence
the name) and that in the 5th century
St. Geneviève, the patron saint
of Paris, preserved the city from destruction
by the Huns. On several occasions in its
early history Paris was threatened by
barbarian and Norman invasions, which
at times drove the inhabitants back to
the river.
Pairs
is (of course) the capital city of France.
It is the commercial and industrial focus
of France and a cultural and intellectual
centre of international renown. The city
possesses a history of famous (and infamous)
writers, poets, and painters that stretches
for centuries. Paris is sometimes called
the City of Light in tribute to its intellectual
pre-eminence as well as to its beautiful
appearance. Elegant stores and hotels,
lavish nightclubs, theatres, and gourmet
restaurants help make tourism the biggest
industry in Paris.
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