A History of Paris in the Age of Enlightenment



At the end of the 18th century, Paris was known as one of the most important and largest capital cities in Europe. Travelers, diplomats, philosophers and other observers described and criticized it, demonstrating their interest for this “microcosm of the world”; like the former, we will visit the city and draw our own lessons and conclusions. This course is designed to help students understand the characteristics of the urban and social history of the capital of the French monarchy during the 18th century. As the political capital city, Paris was inseparable from the major events in French history. This course is open to all students, not just historians; it will explore multiple, different aspects of the history of the city and can be adapted to the backgrounds and interests of the students. Lectures will be supplemented by slideshows.



Required texts :

Youri CARBONNIER, Paris. Une géohistoire, Paris, coll. Documentation photographique, dossier n°8068, mars-avril 2009, La Documentation Française, 2009. ISSN: 0419-5361.

Dictionnaire historique de Paris, Paris, « La pochothèque », Librairie générale Française, 2013. ISBN : 978-2-253-13140-3