Page 74 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

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Commissioned by the ‘Sun King’, Louis XIV, this extravagant church was used by the royal family for prayers and Mass.
A hospital and long-term home for France’s injured soldiers. Constant wars meant it was a busy place.
The public square where King Louis XVI, and later his wife,
Queen Marie-Antoinette, were executed.
Home to one of the most important art collections in the world.
This little island was the first part of Paris inhabited in around 250 BCE. The first settlers were known as the Parisii, from which Paris gets its name.
The king’s palace, Versailles, was the
largest in Europe. The grandeur of its buildings and gardens was legendary.
1789
Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Paris was a city of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie- Antoinette, lived in luxury and ruled France with absolute power, while many ordinary people were shockingly poor. Eventually the anger of the French people boiled over, leading to a violent revolution. The king and queen were publicly executed, and France became a republic for the first time.