Page 25 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

THE HIST OR Y OF P ARIS  23

Roman Oil Lamp
The inhabitants of the Where to See
densely populated Ile de Gallo-Roman Paris
la Cité derived comfort
during the dark winter Since the mid-19th century,
months from the warmth excavations have yielded evidence
of central heating and the of the boundaries of the Roman
light from oil lamps. city which had as its central axes
the present-day Rue St-Jacques
and Rue Soufflot (in the 5th
Ile de la Cité Gallo-Roman arrondissement). Under the Parvis
Goddess de Notre-Dame (Place Jean-Paul II)
Found in the arena, in the Crypte Archéologique
this head dates (see pp86–7) the remains of Gallo-
from the 2nd Roman houses and Roman
century AD. ramparts can be seen. Other
Roman sites in Paris are the Arènes
de Lutèce (p167) and the baths at
the Musée de Cluny – Musée
National du Moyen Age (pp154–7).

Temple

The baths (thermae) at Cluny had
three huge rooms of water with
different temperatures.

Stage backdrop
Spectator seats

Arènes de Lutèce
This huge arena, built in the 1st–2nd
centuries AD, was used for circuses, theatrical
performances and gladiatorial combat.
Ring Flask
Lutetia in AD 200 From about 300 AD,
Paris, or Lutetia, was laid out in a grid pattern with this flask was found
on the Ile de la Cité.
bridges linking the Ile de la Cité and the Left Bank.
Roman floor 285 Barbarians 360 Julien, prefect of Gaul, is
mosaic from the advance, Lutetia proclaimed Emperor. Lutetia
Cluny baths swept by fire changes its name to Paris after
200 the Parisii
Romans add arena,
baths and villas
100 BC 0 BC 100 200 300 400
52 BC 250 451
Labienus, Caesar’s Early Christian Sainte Geneviève galvanizes the
lieutenant, defeats the martyr, St Denis, Parisians to repulse Attila the Hun
Gauls. Romans rebuild the beheaded in 485–508
Ile de la Cité, and create a Montmartre Clovis, leader of the Franks, defeats
new town on the Left Bank the Romans. Paris becomes Christian

022-023_EW_Paris.indd 23 25/04/16 4:16 pm