“If you are lucky and you lived in Paris in your youth, then wherever you are
later, he will remain with you until the end of your days, because Paris is a
holiday that is always with you.”
From a letter from
Ernest Hemingway to a friend
Paris is not just a holiday, forever remaining in the soul of everyone who has ever visited it. Paris is a city of love and romance, history and art, a city of mood and discovery. All corners of Paris, like music, are filled with its special spirit. The majestic Louvre, the embankments of the Seine and the picturesque Tuileries Garden, described in the novels of Alexandre Dumas. Mysterious Notre Dame, sung for centuries by Victor Hugo. The monumental Arc de Triomphe, inspired, like Remarque’s novel, by the great military history of France. The bohemian life of Montmartre and the enchanting shows at the Moulin Rouge, displayed in the famous paintings of Toulouse-Latrec. The refined atmosphere of the Champs Elysees, in tune with the melodic chanson of Joe Dassin. Glamorous chic and behind the scenes of “high fashion”, ironically shown in the comedy of the same name by Robert Altman… You can talk about Paris endlessly, because,
Geography and location
Paris is the capital of France, located in the northern part of central France, on the banks of the Seine River, in the Île-de-France region. The area of the city, together with the Bois de Boulogne to the west of Paris and the Bois de Vincennes to the east, is 105 km², and the population of the city is more than 2.2 million people. An important geographical feature on the territory of Paris is the Seine River, thanks to which the city is traditionally divided into the right bank, where the business and commercial parts are located, and the left bank, where the cultural and educational life of Paris is concentrated. Administratively, the capital of France is divided into 20 municipal districts, which are numbered in a spiral, clockwise, starting from the 1st district, located in the city center on the right bank.
Climate
Paris has a temperate mild climate, with fairly warm winters (average January temperature is +3°C) and hot summers – temperatures in July-August reach up to 35-38°C.
A bit of history
Paris got its name from the “Parisians” (lat.Parisii) – a Celtic tribe, in the middle of the 3rd century. BC. who founded the settlement of Lutetia on the site of the current island of Cité, from which the city grew. The first mention of Lutetia was made by Julius Caesar in 53 BC. In A.D. 52 e. the city was captured by the Romans, who, after an unsuccessful attempt to capture the Celtic settlement, left the island of Cite to the Parisians, and themselves built a new city on the left bank of the Seine. Since the middle of the III century, the territory of Lutetia has been attacked by barbarians, which leads to the further strengthening of the island. Then the city began to be called Paris. After the victory of the barbarians over the Gauls in the 5th century, only Paris and its environs remained untouched, which, according to legend, was protected by Saint Genevieve, who later became the patroness of Paris. In 508, with the arrival of the Franks, Roman rule ends. From the 11th century, Paris became the center of education, on its left bank – the current Latin Quarter – educational institutions appeared that became the basis of the famous Sorbonne, in 1204 the Louvre fortress was built in Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral was being built. In 1420, after the assassination of Louis of the Valois dynasty, the Civil War began, and soon the British captured Paris. Only in 1429, Jeanne d’Arc helped Charles VII of France to return the city. Under Louis XIII, power in France was exercised by Cardinal Richelieu. During the reign of Louis XIV, the royal court moved to Versailles, but Paris did not lose its importance as the political and economic center of the country, and at the end of the 18th century, during the reign of Louis XVI, Paris also became the center of art, philosophy and science. On July 13, 1789, the French Revolution began in Paris, and the Bastille was taken the next day. On September 22, 1792, the monarchy was abolished and it was “The first day of the first year of the French Republic”. In 1800 Napoleon was proclaimed first consul, and in May 1804 he declared himself emperor. The 19th century was for Paris, as well as for the whole of France, a century of prosperity – the World Exhibitions were held here, in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was built, and in 1900 – the subway. Today Paris is not only the legendary French capital, but also the world’s cultural, political and economic center. Here are unique monuments of history, art, architecture, as well as the most important international organizations, such as the headquarters of UNESCO, the OECD and the International Chamber of Commerce.
