The Romans defeated the Parisii tribe and established a city they named Lutetia. Today, that city is Paris. Traces of Roman architecture remain visible in Paris: if you look at a map, Rue Saint-Jacques cuts right through the middle of the city and was the main Roman road in and out. Remnants of a coliseum, baths, and temples survive and can be visited today. But when the Roman Empire crumbled, its architectural genius disappeared as well, and the Dark Ages were actually a step backwards architecturally.

(1715-1774)

When the Sun King finally died, the heavy Baroque style was as exhausted as the overtaxed peasants. Louis’ great-grandson, Louis XV took the throne in 1715, just as Paris was beginning a new intellectual period known as the Enlightenment. Some of the great hôtels (mansions) of this period include the Hôtel de Matignon, where the Premier of France now lives, and the Hôtel d’Evreux, residence of the President. In 1748, at the height of the style, Jacques-Ange Gabriel designed Place Louis XV, now known as Place de la Concorde. Rococo brought improvements in practical aspects of architecture: chimneys became more efficient, sanitation was improved, and rooms were arranged with more consideration for privacy. Residential life was creeping closer to what we would recognize today.

(1100-1526)

During the early Middle Ages, the people of Paris poached entire sections of the sturdier Roman walls to use for their own buildings. You can still find roman stones in the cellars of the medieval half-timbered buildings found mostly in the 4th arrondissement but also in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6^th.

Interiors have low pier and beam ceilings, walls are half-timber or exposed stone, and the layout tends to have small and irregular sized rooms. These Pain de Bois buildings are structured around a staircase with a wooden or stone load-bearing axis at the center and a cellar of vaulted caves, both of which make installing an elevator in these buildings almost impossible.

Religious buildings also survive, beginning with the Romanesque style (round arched windows) and then evolving into Gothic style (pointed arches, cross vaults and flying buttresses). 

(1515-1643)

When François I took over the French throne, he surrounded himself with the best creative minds of the time, inviting Leonardo da Vinci to Paris and hiring Italian architects to renovate the Louvre; the French capital surged with life and new buildings.

When François died in 1547, the city was torn apart by Catholic and Protestant factions. Henri IV, finally brought peace to Paris and was determined to restore its brilliance. He completed the Pont Neuf, extended the Louvre and reorganized the entranceways of the city. His most beautiful public legacy is the Place Royale. This was also the era of the magnificent private urban chateaux known as “hôtels particuliers,” which developed in the Latin Quarter, the Faubourg Saint-Germain, and the Quartier du Palais-Royal (Rue Saint-Honoré) for the noble class.

(1803-1840)

The Revolution devastated Paris and the city’s architecture suffered alongside its people. Royal chambers were torn apart by mobs, churches were looted and demolished, and ordinary apartments burned. Barely a decade after Louis XVI was decapitated, Napoleon was firmly in power. The Napoleonic style is a mishmash of neo-classic impulses. Decoration was stimulated by excavations in Pompeii and archeological discoveries in Greece. Classical references pleased Napoleon, since they suited his ambitions for an expanding Empire. Napoleon wisely set up massive building projects to keep Parisians employed, and his largest urban projects shaped today’s city. Napoleon also ordained that streets should be numbered odd on one side, even on the other, a remarkably practical concept that hadn’t occurred to anyone before.

52 rue de Richelieu, 1st tel: +33 (0)1 4297 5440   |   M° Pyramides, Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre

www.verjusparis.com

From the couple who created Hidden Kitchen is Verjus. Both a wine bar and a gastronomic restaurant, Verjus serves creative cuisine with a focus on market fresh produce and natural meats. Their impressive wine list and penchant for trying new cooking techniques has quickly placed this restaurant on the list of most sought after tables in Paris.

123 Rue St Honoré, 1st tel: 01 42 21 92 40   |   M° Louvre Rivoli

Started in the 14th arrondissement, this most emblematic of classic French bistros in Paris has now opened a second spot in the center of Paris. The homemade terrines and pâtés are served all you can eat style along with cornichons, and the main courses are generous and well prepared; the best place for typical modern French dishes.