Paris is the capital city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in Northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. Paris is one of the oldest cities on the European continent and one of the biggest metropolitan areas on the continent as well.
Here are some facts about Paris:
- The earliest archaeological signs of permanent habitation in the Paris area date from around 4200 BC.
- The city reclaimed its original appellation of “Paris” towards the end of the Roman occupation. The Frankish king Clovis I established Paris as his capital in 508 AD.
- Today the central part of Paris has a population of about 2.2 million and about 11 million people in total live in the Paris metropolitan area.
- The Eiffel Tower was constructed between 1887 and 1889. It was the tallest structure in the world up to 1930. The Eiffel Tower is 324 metres (1,063 ft) in height.
- The Notre Dame de Paris (meaning Our Lady in Paris) is a gothic Roman Catholic cathredral in Paris. It was constructed between 1160 and 1345.
- The Musée du Louvre (Grand Louvre) in Paris is one of the world’s largest museums and the world’s most visited museum (more than 8 million visitors a year). It’s also a historic monument. It was established in 1793.
- The Arc de Triomphe is 50 metres (160 feet) high, 45 metres (148 feet) wide and 22 metres (72 feet) deep. The monument was completed in 1836 during the reign of King Louis-Philippe.
- The Bastille was built between 1370 and 1383 as part of the defenses of Paris, the structure was reputedly converted into a prison in the 17th century by Charles VI of France. The Bastille was destroyed from 1789 – 1790 during the French revolution. No trace of this prison remains today but the site is know today as the Place de la Bastille and is often the site of political protests in the city.
- The Place de la Concorde in Paris is the site that was called Place de la Revolution and many nobles were executed during the French revolution here including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The Place de la Concorde is the largest public square in Paris (covering 86,400 square metres)
- The Palace of Versailles occupies more than 51,000 square metres. The chateau has 700 rooms, 2153 windows, 67 staircases, 6123 paintings, 1500 drawings, more than 2100 sculptures and more than 15,000 engravings in its collection.
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