Lutetia appears in the written record
Caesar’s account describes a settlement of the Parisii on the Seine.
Density
From Lutetia to a living cityOur World
Paris
Trace Paris through ancient settlement, medieval building, revolution, urban transformation, liberation and restoration.
Subject guide · scope, chapters & sources ↗Ten selected milestones in the city and its built environment. Ancient settlement is not given an invented birthday; archaeological interpretations remain provisional. The modern endpoint is Notre-Dame’s reopening in December 2024, not a live account of every subsequent development.
A Roman town develops on the left bank
The Augustan town lays out streets across the river from the older settlement.
Notre-Dame’s long building story begins
A medieval cathedral grows on the Île de la Cité.
The Bastille is taken
A royal fortress-prison becomes a powerful revolutionary symbol.
Haussmann begins remaking the city
Boulevards, parks and infrastructure reshape Paris—and displace residents.
The Eiffel Tower is inaugurated
An iron exhibition tower becomes a new feature of the skyline.
The first Métro line opens
Underground urban travel begins a new chapter.
Paris is liberated
Resistance fighters and Allied forces end the German occupation of the capital.
The Seine’s historic banks gain World Heritage status
A river landscape links monuments from different eras.
Notre-Dame reopens after restoration
The cathedral returns to public life after the 2019 fire.