Royal Mediaeval Paris: From Merovingian to Valois

During the Middle Ages, Paris underwent a seismic change that saw it transform from a small cathedral city of little economic or political consequence, to the largest city in Christendom and a leading cultural and intellectual hub. Its rise to prominence owed much to the Capetian dynasty, whose growing power mirrored that of the city’s. It was under early Capetian rule that Paris evolved into a city of three parts, the Île de la Cité, the metropolitan heart, site of the royal palace and the imposing new cathedral of Notre-Dame, begun in 1163; the mercantile Right Bank, a prospering centre of business and trade; and the Left Bank with its important monasteries, such as the Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The University of Paris, an amalgamation of the cathedral schools of Notre-Dame, was officially chartered in 1200 by King Philip II of France. It quickly emerged as one of the great centres of scholarship in Europe, bringing further importance to the Left Bank. Indeed, by the 13th century, the number of students living on the Left Bank had swelled so significantly that the area came to be known as the Latin Quarter, Latin being the language assumed by so many of its scholarly inhabitants. This boom period in Parisian history would be brought to a standstill with the arrival of the Bubonic plague in 1348, which killed a quarter of the city’s population during the first outbreak, and the Hundred Years’ War. Nevertheless, this remarkable chapter in the city’s history is preserved in the form of some of its most astounding structures and treasures. Join Dr Sally Dormer in a thrilling exploration of royal mediaeval Paris and discover the era that truly gave form to this most beloved European metropolis.