Fun Facts About Paris

Paris is too old

The history of Paris dates back to 200 BC, when a Parisian tribe established their home beside the Seine River. It became an important trading post for the Romans and eventually became the largest city in all of Europe with a population of 200,000 people during the 1300s. They lost some numbers during the Black Plague and several wars, but today, more than two million people call the City of Lights home.

They have unusual burial habits

Speaking of the dead, Paris may have one of the most unusual burial sites in the world. The old town planners did not seem to have created enough space for cemeteries around many of Paris' churches, which became a real problem in 1780, when a particularly heavy rain razed the walls of the Les Innocents cemetery and The rotten corpses were sent on the streets. They chose to keep the old bodies in the old Tombe-Issor quarries that had been in use for a long time beneath the city, and since they were essentially just bones, they made little effort to keep the skeletons intact. In the early 1800s, the curious public was allowed to make an appointment to see the eerie display of bones. Although not as elaborately decorated as the Sedlec ossuary, people today still spend ten bucks a pop to see the bones of the more than six million Parisians buried in the Holocaust.

Its biggest sign is not supposed to be there

When you think of the Paris skyline, you think of the Eiffel Tower, but as ubiquitous as this symbol of the city is, it should never have lasted more than a few decades. Finished in 1889 for the World's Fair, the tower was the tallest man-made structure in the entire world, a recognition it held for an impressive 40 years. By 1910, when it was to be demolished, the city had begun to use it for radio purposes, which would become even more important during the wars to come. Happily, the iron tower has been preserved and restored over the years, and more than a century later there is little chance of Parisians changing their views on the tower's beauty and charm.

He has his own Statue of Liberty

Of course, the American Statue of Liberty, which was designed by Eugne-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel and built in New York City, was built by France as a display of friendship between the two revolutionary countries. was gifted. To return the favor, the U.S. sent back a smaller replica of the statue, which stood about 37 feet tall, which now resides on the le aux Signes in the Seine River. In fact, Paris has four replicas of the statue scattered throughout the city.

They Really Love Art

Culture is arguably Paris' biggest export, as the city has been a center for art, fashion, food, and literature for hundreds of years. It boasts the largest art museum in the world, the Louvre, which houses such great works as the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People, and countless other masterpieces.