Origin and history
The island of the City, located on the Seine in the centre of Paris, is considered the ancient cradle of the city, formerly called Lutece. It was fortified as early as 308 and described in 1190 as "the head, heart and marrow of Paris". With an area of 22.5 hectares, it housed 891 inhabitants in 2016. Its name, derived from the Latin civitas, recalls that at the end of Antiquity, Paris was limited to this island, the nucleus of the medieval city.
The origins of the island date back to a hypothetical Gaulish occupation by the Parisii around 250 B.C., although no archaeological evidence confirms a presence before the Roman conquest. The excavations revealed traces of a pre-Roman level (clous, pole holes), but the Gaulish agglomeration seems to be developed rather at the mouth of the Bièvre or near Nanterre. In 52 B.C., after Julius Caesar's victory over Vercingetorix, the Gauls settled on the island, living in fishing and batellerie, while the Gallo-Roman city was built on the left bank.
In the Gallo-Roman era, the island houses a temple dedicated to Jupiter, probably built by the nautes (Gaulian navigators), as well as a palace representing Rome. The banks are stabilized, and wooden bridges replace the Gallic bridges. The cardus maximus (north-south axis) crosses the island, taking over an ancient Gallic road. In the first century, under Tiberius, a harbour dock is built to the southeast. The population, estimated at 1,500, took refuge on the island during the barbaric invasions from 276.
In the fourth century, a two-metre-wide enclosure was built 30 metres from the shores to protect the island. In 357, the caesar Julien made it his military residence. With Christianization, churches replace pagan temples: St. Stephen's Basilica (511–558) rises on the site of the present Courtyard of Notre-Dame, using materials recovered from the Naute temple. A fire ravages the shopping district in 586. Clovis, king of the Franks, made it the capital of his kingdom in 508 and settled in the ancient Roman palace.
During the Carolingian period (752–987), the island remained the political and religious center of Paris, despite Norman looting (845, 856–857, 861). Charles le Chauve strengthened the Gallo-Roman enclosure in 877 and built the Grand and Petit Châtelet to protect the bridges. In 885–86 Bishop Gozlin resisted the Vikings in a long siege, saving the City. The Robertians, future Capetians, made it their seat of power: the Comtal Palace became royal residence, while the east of the island was dedicated to the bishop. In the 11th century, Louis VI settled there with his court and Parliament.
In the Middle Ages, the island became a permanent site. In 1163, Maurice de Sully launched the construction of Notre-Dame and reorganized the parishes. Philippe Auguste (XIII century) enclaves the City in a enclosure on both banks, reducing its vulnerability. Bridges, lined with houses and mills (Pont aux Meuniers, Pont-aux-Changeurs), become major commercial axes. In 1300 Guillot de Paris counted 36 streets in the Cité, compared to 43 in the Middle Ages. The Haussmannian works (19th century) razed a large part of the island, expelling 25,000 inhabitants to build the police prefecture and expand the courtyard of Notre-Dame.
Today, the island of the City contains major monuments: Notre Dame Cathedral, Conciergerie, Sainte-Chapelle, the Palace of Justice and the Hôtel-Dieu. It is connected to both banks by nine bridges, including the Neuf Bridge (1607), and houses four green spaces, such as the Green-Galant Square. Its administrative and tourist role dominates, with a residual population of 891 inhabitants in 2016, concentrated around Dauphine Square. Recent projects aim to strengthen its cultural attractiveness, such as the creation of pedestrian bridges and the opening of the Court of May to the public.
