Today in History, July 8: Lutetia Becomes Officially a City

49 B.C., on July 8, the Romans declare officially Lutetia as a city. After the decline of the Roman Empire the city reverted to its original name and became one of the world’s most famous cities: Paris!

Actually, the history of Paris can be traced back to a Gallic tribe known as the Parisii, who sometime around 250 B.C. settled an island (known today as Ile de la Cite) in the Seine River, which runs through present-day Paris. One of the area's major north-south trade routes crossed the Seine on the île de la Cité. This meeting place of land and water trade routes gradually became an important trading centre. The Parisii traded with many river towns as far away as the Iberian Peninsula, and minted their own coins for that purpose.

By 52 B.C., Julius Caesar and the Romans had taken over the area. After making the island a garrison camp they began extending their settlement in a more permanent way to Paris's Left Bank. The Gallo-Roman town was, under the Gallic’s, known as the settlement of the Parisii. The roman renamed it and gave it the name of Lutetia (Place near the swamp), or with full name: Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii). Even so with this less than glorious name (today we would make it more attractive by calling it midwater dwelling) it became very fast a prosperous place, because of its strategic location. In 49 B.C. the Roman’s declared it officially a city and started to build a forum, baths, temples, theatres, and an amphitheater. By the end of the Western Roman Empire, the town reverted to its Gallic name of Parisii, respectively Parisius. The name that would later become Paris in French.

Christianity was introduced in the middle of the 3rd century A.D. by Saint Denis, the first Bishop of Paris. According to legend, when he refused to renounce his faith before the Roman occupiers, he was beheaded on the hill which became known as Mons Martyrum (Latin for Hill of Martyrs), nowadays Montmartre, from where he, holding his head in his arms, walked headless to the north of the city. The place where he fell and was buried became an important religious shrine, the Basilica of Saint-Denis, and many French Kings are buried there.

By 360 A.D., the Roman Empire was steadily declining. AS Roman influence waned, the city was soon re-conquered by the Franks, a German tribe. Clovis the Frank, the first king of the Merovingian dynasty, made the city his capital in 508 and Paris again started to thrive.

Since that time Paris has been on and off the capital of France. After the death of Clovis the Frank his kingdom was divided in four and even Paris remained the capital of one of the four kingdoms, the city of Soissons is regarded as the capital of France till 987 A.D., when Paris again become the official capital. Over the years and due to different reasons, mainly wars, Paris lost and regained its status as capital of France 8 times.

Today Paris is a city of 105 km² (41 sq mi) and a population of approximately 2.2 million in 2015 within its 20 districts. Around its historical heart, the small Île de la Cité, the City of Paris stretches on both sides of the Seine River, which divides it into two parts: The Rive Gauche (Left Bank, south) and Rive Droite (Right Bank, north). The city possesses the 4th largest public transportation system worldwide with over 300 subway (Metro) stations. With some 450 parks and gardens, Paris boosts itself as being a green city. It is also home to many important cultural institutions; over 150 museums, 830 libraries, 400 movie screens and countless galleries.