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Paris in the 17th century

Type Object Region France Time 1651–1660

17th-century Paris was the political, cultural, and economic center of the Kingdom of France, with a population of about 400,000–500,000, one of Euro…

Timeline

  1. 1648–1649Paris · Île-de-FranceThe Parlement de Paris, together with other high courts, opposed Mazarin's wartime tax policies and in August 1648 sparked street barricade uprisings in Paris (hence the name Fronde). The royal family was forced to flee to Saint-Germain; after the Prince of Condé was ordered to besiege the city, the two sides signed the Peace of Rueil in March 1649, but the fundamental contradictions remained unresolved.
  2. 1651–1652Paris and its suburbs (battlegrounds such as the Faubourg Saint-Antoine) · ParisThe Prince of Condé, joined by Spanish forces, approached Paris; within the city the Duchess of Orléans (La Grande Mademoiselle) ordered the Bastille to fire on royal troops to cover Condé's retreat. Factional fighting led to fierce battles in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine with heavy civilian casualties, and the city's economy stagnated. In October 1652 Condé was defeated and withdrew, Louis XIV returned to Paris, and the capital's situation finally stabilized.
  3. 1653–1660Paris (the Louvre and the Place Royale area) · Île-de-FranceIn February 1653 Mazarin returned triumphantly to Paris, the Parlement's political power was systematically suppressed, and the royal court re-established itself in the Louvre. Urban construction resumed: noble mansions continued to rise around the Place Royale (today's Place des Vosges), and grand houses filled the Île Saint-Louis. In 1660 Louis XIV held a grand entry ceremony in Paris with Queen Maria Theresa, bringing the capital's glory to a new peak.
  4. 1635–1660Paris · Île-de-FranceRichelieu founded the Académie française in 1635 to promote the standardization of French. During the turbulent years, Cartesian philosophy, Jansenist theology, and classical drama by playwrights such as Molière flourished in Paris, while the Louvre's expansion continued. Amid civil strife the city maintained its status as Europe's intellectual and cultural center, laying the groundwork for Paris's later full transformation into the 'City of Light' during the Sun King's era.

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