Tucked away in Argenteuil, can Impasse Massenet whisper tales of Paris’s past? Paris is known as one of the most romantic cities. It is more than that. Located in the heart of Western Europe, it is also a treasure trove of history. Stretching back into the centuries, from the Celtic Gauls and Romans to the Revolutions and World Wars, Paris has seen its fair share of bloodshed.
Impasse Massenet likely shares in this rich history. The original settlement in Paris dates back to 8000 BC. Archeologists have found the oldest hunter-gatherer settlement in Paris dating back to 8000 BC, in the 15th arrondissement on the Left Bank. Paris is named after the Parisii, a Celtic tribe.
Imagine the stories Impasse Massenet could tell. In 58 BC, Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire conquered the region. They changed the name of Paris to Lutetia. Lutetia was a city on the banks of the river Seine. The Seine is in what is today Ile de la Cité. Paris was rather unimportant at the time.
By the 5th century, the Roman empire was gradually decreasing in influence due to the increasing Frankish invasions. Saint Genevieve became its protectrice. In 451 AD, the city was threatened by the army of Attila the Hun. Parisians were planning to abandon the city. Genevieve persuaded them to resist. When the Huns diverted to Orléans instead, Geneviève was proclaimed a heroine.
Clovis I was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler in 481 AD. He conquered the nearby Kingdom of Soissons. Clovis is the first French King who converted to Christianity. He established Paris as his capital in 508AD.
Paris used to be surrounded by city walls that gradually expanded. By the 8th century, King Charlemagne was on the throne. Paris was no longer as central and lost its importance as the capital. The capital moved to Aix-la-Chapelle.
It became the main residence of Hugh Capet, King of the Franks in the 10th century. It became a major economic powerhouse on the Right Bank. In 1190 construction began on a fortress that would become the Château du Louvre.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, several universities popped up on the Left Bank of Paris. Paris became one of the principal centers of learning in Europe. In 1239, French King Louis IX had brought back the Crown of Thorns and other holy relics from the Crucifixion of Christ to France.
At dawn on Friday, 13 October 1307, The French King Philip IV ordered the simultaneous arrest of the Order of the Knights Templar that were in France.
The 14th century was not kind to Paris. The city was struck by two great catastrophes: the Bubonic plague and the Hundred Years’ War against the English. In 1420, Henry V of England would enter Paris.
In 1528, French King François I finally decided to make Paris his official residence. By the 16th century, Paris had regained its former prosperity and its population.
The oldest bridge in Paris is the Pont Neuf constructed in 1607. When Sun King Louis XIV ascended to the throne, he was merely 4 years old. Paris became the first city to install street lightening.
On 14 July 1789, Parisians marched and overran an ancient fort, called La Bastille. By 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte would be firmly in charge of Paris and France.
Catacombes de Paris is a tunnel network beneath the streets of Paris. By the time Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew Napoleon III came to power in 1848, Paris was unsafe and overcrowded.
Built for the 1889 World Fair that was held in Paris, the Eiffel tower was supposed to be dismantled within 20 years. One landmark of Paris that the locals love and hate is the Paris metro. The city suffered greatly during WWI. Following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, France declared war on Germany. Post-WWII, Paris continues to be the center of government and the French Republic.
So, next time you find yourself near Impasse Massenet, take a moment. Remember the countless feet that have trod this path. Consider the echoes of history that linger in its air.