Paris in the Middle Ages: This is how the capital of the Kingdom of France was born

Early Middle Ages: 486-987

During the 752th century, the Western Roman Empire collapsed, and Gaul was conquered by the Frankish tribe, who gave France its name. The first king of the Frankish kingdom, Clovis, founded the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled large parts of modern France until XNUMX.

During the Merovingian period, the kingdom was divided many times, and its kings fought each other constantly. The kings lived in the royal palace on the Île de la Cité, but almost nothing remains of the original structure.

In general, there are almost no remains from this period in Paris, except for the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés , where several of the dynasty's kings were buried. Another legacy of the Merovingians is the first version of the Basilica of Saint-Denis. King Dagobert I (629–639) was the first to be buried there, thus beginning the tradition of burying French kings in a basilica (a tradition that officially ended in 1824, with the burial of Louis XVIII).

From the mid-seventh century onwards, the influence of the later Merovingian kings, known as the “lazy kings” (les rois fainéants), began to wane. They were mainly concerned with pleasure and often died young. Alongside them, the palace administrators (maior domus) gained considerable power, becoming de facto rulers.

In 752, Pepin the Short, the palace administrator, decided to formally take the crown. With the support of the Pope, he deposed the last Merovingian king, Childe III, cut off his long hair (a symbol of royal status), and sent him to a monastery. The dynasty Pepin founded is called the Carolingian dynasty, named after his famous son, Charlemagne (768-814), and it ruled France until 987.

During the Carolingian period, Paris declined in status, and the capital was moved to Aachen (Aix La Chapelle). During the ninth century, the city became a favorite target for Viking raids, who would destroy and plunder the surrounding settlements, leaving the Carolingian kings helpless.

In 885-886, the great Viking siege of Paris took place. Odo, Count of Paris, managed to defend the city valiantly, and was crowned King of France (888-898). After his death, the Carolingians returned to rule for a short time. In 987, Louis V, the last Carolingian king, died, and Odo's descendant, Hugh Capet, was elected King of France. The Capetian dynasty he founded, in its various branches, ruled France almost continuously until 1848.

Chapters in “Once Upon a Time” on the Early Middle Ages

An excellent chapter dealing with the Merovingians and Carolingians:

And a chapter dealing with the Viking invasions:

Late Middle Ages: 987-1483

In 987, when Ige Cappa came to power, Paris was a relatively small city. Viking raids had caused the left bank to be abandoned, and the population had concentrated on the fortified island, the Île de la Cité. However, as Paris was now the king's capital, its position grew, and within about a century it had become the capital of the kingdom not only in name but also in practice.

The first Capetian kings were relatively weak and ruled directly only the Paris region and its surroundings (“Île-de-France”). They were surrounded by powerful barons who posed a constant threat to their rule. The turning point began during the reign of Louis VI (“the Fat”, 1108-1137), when the position of the French kings began to strengthen.

Paris is Built: The Great Capetian Kings

During the reign of Louis VI, the familiar division of Paris began to take shape: the Right Bank as a commercial center (with the development of the Les Halles market, which operated until 1969), and the Left Bank as an intellectual center, with the establishment of the first colleges that would later become the Sorbonne University.

During the reign of his son, Louis VII (1137-1180), the Île de la Cité continued to develop and construction of Notre Dame Cathedral began. His son, Philip II “Auguste” (1180-1223), built the first wall of Paris, which surrounded both banks. Its remains can still be seen today in the Marais district and behind the Pantheon.

Philip Augustus’ grandson, Louis IX (“the Saint”, 1226-1270), was responsible for the construction of Sainte -Chapelle , a royal chapel known for its breathtaking stained glass windows. He built it to house Christ’s “Crown of Thorns”, a sacred relic he acquired during a crusade.

Paris in the Hundred Years' War

Louis IX's grandson was Philip IV ("the Beautiful", 1285-1314). During his reign, the royal palace on the Île de la Cité was rebuilt, along with the Conciergerie , which later became a notorious prison. Philip was also responsible for the suppression of the Knights Templar, a wealthy and powerful order of knights based in the Marais (hence the names of streets in the area, such as rue du Temple).

Philip, coveting their wealth, arrested the leaders of the order on Friday, October 13, 1307. Accused of a series of absurd crimes, they were burned at the stake in 1314. Legend has it that while on the stake, the head of the order, Jacques de Molay, cursed King Philip and his descendants. Indeed, that same year the king died, followed by his three sons who died one after the other without a male heir: Louis X (1314–1316), Philip V (1316–1322), and Charles IV (1322–1328).

The deaths of the sons created a succession crisis. There were two main claimants to the throne: Philip, Duke of Valois, cousin of Charles IV, and Edward III of England, nephew of the latter king. Since Salic law prevented women from inheriting the French throne, the Duke of Valois was elected King of France under the name Philip VI (1328–1350).

But the King of England refused to accept the verdict and invaded France in 1337. Thus began the Hundred Years' War , which actually lasted 116 years (1337-1453), during which Paris experienced rebellions, conquest, and great suffering.

At that time, Paris experienced one of the most important rebellions in its history. In 1357, the head of the merchants' guild, Étienne Marcel, broke into the king's palace and slaughtered his advisors in front of the heir apparent, Charles (later Charles V), in an attempt to gain more rights for the city. The rebellion was suppressed a few years later, but it had two important consequences.

First, King Charles V, scarred by the experience, left the Palais de la Cité and moved to the Palais Saint-Paul in the Marais. This move transformed the Marais into a fashionable aristocratic district (the palace itself no longer exists). Second, the uprising began a long Parisian tradition of popular uprisings, which continues to some extent to this day (as the “ yellow vest” protests have reminded us ).

Charles V is remembered not only as a wise king who defeated the English in many battles, but also as one of the greatest builders of Paris in the Middle Ages. He is responsible for the construction of the Château de Vincennes , the Bastille , the expansion of the Louvre, and the construction of a new wall for Paris that stood firm until the time of Louis XIV.

After the successful reign of Charles V, the tide of France turned against him again. His successor, Charles VI (1380-1422), suffered from fits of madness and was unfit to rule. In the resulting political vacuum, a bitter power struggle broke out between his brother, the Duke of Orléans, and his uncle, the Duke of Burgundy.

In 1407, the murder of the Duke of Orléans on the Rue de Barbet sparked a bloody civil war, in which Paris supported the Burgundian faction (the Duke of Burgundy's palace is now the Tower of Jean the Fearless, on the Rue Etienne Marcel). The English took advantage of the internal chaos, and after their victory at the Battle of Agincourt (1415) they managed to take control of Paris and crown their young king, Henry VI.

At that time, it seemed that France was about to become an English kingdom. Charles VI's son, Charles the Dauphin (later Charles VII, 1422–1461), ruled only a small area in the Loire Valley . But then came Joan of Arc , a young peasant girl, who led the French army to victory at the Siege of Orléans. She also attempted to capture Paris but failed, was captured by the English, and was eventually burned at the stake.

Despite its tragic end, Joan of Arc's intervention changed the course of the war. Over the next few years, Charles VII succeeded in expelling the English from almost all of France (except for the city of Calais). His son, Louis XI (11–1461), continued the work of unifying the kingdom and strengthening the position of Paris.

The Paris of Louis XI, the period in which “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” takes place, was, in Victor Hugo’s eyes , the most beautiful in its history. Unfortunately, only a few buildings have survived from his era, most notably the Hôtel de Cluny (now the Museum of the Middle Ages) and the Hôtel de Sens.

Recommended media about the late Middle Ages

Episodes of “Once Upon a Time”

A chapter dealing with the construction of Gothic cathedrals, foremost among them Notre Dame:

And a chapter dealing with the Hundred Years' War:

More movies and series

I highly recommend a mini-series called “The Cursed Kings” (Les Rois Maudits), which deals with Philip IV and his sons. Watching the series will not only teach you history, but also reveal the historical inspiration for the series “Game of Thrones”. Here is the first episode (the rest are available on YouTube):

The film “Joan of Arc” (directed by Luc Besson and starring Milla Jovovich), tells the story of the girl who changed the history of France:

Finally, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” provides a glimpse into 15th-century Paris. There are many versions of the film, but I recommend the Disney animated version, which will also be suitable for children traveling with you in Paris.

Want to read more about the history of Paris?

You are invited to move on to the next chapter in the history of Paris series and learn about additional periods in the history of the City of Lights.

More on the subject

• Cyprien Ragno – The Cook Who Wanted to Become an Actor
• A walking tour of the Left Bank of Paris following Napoleon
• Interview on the “Muzes” program on “Kol Hashalom” radio