1 00:00:05,110 --> 00:00:07,305 This is Paris. 2 00:00:10,510 --> 00:00:12,819 A city of romance and adventure, 3 00:00:14,830 --> 00:00:18,948 from the buzz of its cafes to its swinging street life. 4 00:00:23,310 --> 00:00:26,859 Right from the very start, it's been a city of extremes. 5 00:00:29,950 --> 00:00:32,066 Love and hate. 6 00:00:32,150 --> 00:00:34,220 Cathedrals and brothels. 7 00:00:34,870 --> 00:00:37,384 Mean streets and gilded palaces. 8 00:00:41,910 --> 00:00:45,186 At the heart of it all, the unique spirit of Paris, 9 00:00:46,350 --> 00:00:50,263 always inventive, always at the forefront of change, 10 00:00:52,630 --> 00:00:54,825 from high fashion and sexual freedom 11 00:00:54,910 --> 00:00:58,903 to the radical ideas that transformed the way we all live. 12 00:01:00,870 --> 00:01:03,907 It's a city where the spirit of revolution never dies. 13 00:01:03,990 --> 00:01:06,185 (RAPPING LA FRANCE IN FRENCH) 14 00:01:13,470 --> 00:01:15,347 Welcome to my city. 15 00:01:26,790 --> 00:01:29,020 (ACCORDION PLAYING) 16 00:01:30,430 --> 00:01:32,261 (SINGING IN FRENCH) 17 00:01:37,630 --> 00:01:39,302 Today is the vendange, 18 00:01:39,390 --> 00:01:43,349 a celebration of the ancient tradition of wine-growing in Paris 19 00:01:43,430 --> 00:01:45,705 which dates back to the Roman times. 20 00:01:45,790 --> 00:01:48,304 Though it's a day of fun and frivolity, 21 00:01:48,390 --> 00:01:51,302 for Parisians, wine is always a serious business. 22 00:01:57,150 --> 00:01:59,869 No one connects wine-growing with Paris any more, 23 00:01:59,950 --> 00:02:03,101 but 2,000 years ago that's what it was best known for. 24 00:02:08,190 --> 00:02:11,705 This small vineyard is one of the very few that remain. 25 00:02:13,750 --> 00:02:17,379 The grape harvest every October is still a crowd-puller. 26 00:02:17,470 --> 00:02:19,620 We love to party in Paris. 27 00:02:27,070 --> 00:02:30,221 The festival is all rather eccentric and quaint. 28 00:02:31,190 --> 00:02:33,909 Even in Paris, people can't be cool all the time. 29 00:02:35,790 --> 00:02:38,350 A lot of us wouldn't dream of dressing up like this, 30 00:02:38,430 --> 00:02:40,580 but we are all proud of our history. 31 00:02:44,150 --> 00:02:46,505 In Paris, history means change. 32 00:02:46,590 --> 00:02:49,388 The city is dynamic and always has been. 33 00:02:50,430 --> 00:02:54,742 We've always thrived on new ideas, new ways of living and loving. 34 00:02:55,510 --> 00:02:58,024 No wonder Paris is known as the City of Light 35 00:02:58,110 --> 00:03:00,226 and the home of revolution. 36 00:03:03,590 --> 00:03:05,262 (WOLF-WHISTLES) 37 00:03:06,350 --> 00:03:09,103 Much of our history is there for all to see. 38 00:03:10,670 --> 00:03:13,628 But to really understand what makes Parisians tick, 39 00:03:13,710 --> 00:03:15,701 you need to dig a little deeper. 40 00:03:26,830 --> 00:03:28,866 (PEOPLE CHEERING AND CLAPPING) 41 00:03:45,990 --> 00:03:49,426 In Paris, everything begins and ends with the River Seine, 42 00:03:49,510 --> 00:03:52,661 which flows right through the centre of the city. 43 00:03:53,830 --> 00:03:57,106 The Celtic Parisi tribe, which gave Paris its name, 44 00:03:57,190 --> 00:04:01,229 settled here more than 2,000 years ago, and the Romans followed. 45 00:04:04,470 --> 00:04:07,462 Nobody knows the Seine better than the Brigade Fluviale, 46 00:04:07,550 --> 00:04:09,029 or River Police. 47 00:04:09,110 --> 00:04:14,184 Major Alain Roux patrols the waters saving lives and solving crimes. 48 00:04:32,870 --> 00:04:35,464 Actually, if you can see, with the scaffoldings, 49 00:04:35,550 --> 00:04:38,462 that's the oldest house in Paris. That's great. 50 00:04:38,550 --> 00:04:40,541 I just love water, too, 51 00:04:40,670 --> 00:04:43,707 and it's a different way to see Paris. I love it. 52 00:04:51,510 --> 00:04:55,822 This is the Notre-Dame Bridge. That was the very last inhabited bridge. 53 00:04:55,910 --> 00:04:57,468 (SPEAKING FRENCH) 54 00:04:57,550 --> 00:04:59,939 With a windmill at the corner. 55 00:05:26,270 --> 00:05:27,669 Now a museum of course, 56 00:05:27,750 --> 00:05:31,425 for centuries the Louvre was the centre of political power. 57 00:05:31,510 --> 00:05:34,661 But the river shaped Paris in other ways, too. 58 00:05:34,750 --> 00:05:37,105 There is a saying which says that... 59 00:05:37,190 --> 00:05:39,624 (SPEAKING FRENCH) 60 00:05:39,710 --> 00:05:43,498 So, ''The Right Bank spends and the Left Bank thinks.'' 61 00:05:44,710 --> 00:05:46,746 The Right Bank is the trading side 62 00:05:46,830 --> 00:05:49,822 while the Left Bank is the intellectual side, 63 00:05:49,910 --> 00:05:53,346 and in the middle, the Ile de la Cite, where it all began. 64 00:06:08,070 --> 00:06:10,709 There's something you need to know to understand Paris, 65 00:06:10,790 --> 00:06:12,621 the way it looks and the way it feels. 66 00:06:12,710 --> 00:06:16,100 Over the centuries, Paris always lacked space, 67 00:06:16,190 --> 00:06:19,182 trying to push the city walls outside 68 00:06:19,270 --> 00:06:22,706 and building on top of the other buildings, always changing. 69 00:06:22,790 --> 00:06:24,462 And it's what I like, as a curator, 70 00:06:24,590 --> 00:06:28,139 to seek out the past and try to understand the old Paris. 71 00:06:35,270 --> 00:06:38,182 The place to start is the Ile de la Cite. 72 00:06:39,430 --> 00:06:42,228 From medieval times until the 1 9th century, 73 00:06:42,310 --> 00:06:44,824 it was packed with disease-ridden slums. 74 00:06:49,830 --> 00:06:54,540 But now all those narrow old streets have made way for a huge square 75 00:06:54,630 --> 00:06:57,508 in front of the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame. 76 00:07:05,070 --> 00:07:08,540 This is officially the centre of France, kilometre zero. 77 00:07:08,630 --> 00:07:11,781 Distances around the country are measured from this point. 78 00:07:11,870 --> 00:07:13,622 There could be no better place 79 00:07:13,710 --> 00:07:17,908 because Notre Dame is the spiritual and mythical heart of France. 80 00:07:20,670 --> 00:07:23,309 Work on Notre Dame began in the 1 2th century 81 00:07:23,390 --> 00:07:26,507 and it took 1 70 years to complete it, 82 00:07:26,590 --> 00:07:29,662 by far the tallest building Paris had ever seen. 83 00:07:32,350 --> 00:07:34,739 Today it's one of the great cathedrals, 84 00:07:34,830 --> 00:07:37,867 a Gothic masterpiece and a wonder of the world. 85 00:07:40,070 --> 00:07:43,949 Notre Dame established Paris as one of the holiest cities in Europe, 86 00:07:44,030 --> 00:07:46,498 a centre of culture and creativity. 87 00:07:46,590 --> 00:07:51,425 But it had another side to it, one of debauchery, violence and mystery. 88 00:07:56,590 --> 00:07:59,946 For centuries, the cathedral played host to the Fete des Fous, 89 00:08:00,030 --> 00:08:02,021 or Festival of Fools, 90 00:08:02,110 --> 00:08:06,023 an astonishing spectacle of lust, violence and drunkenness 91 00:08:06,110 --> 00:08:08,749 within the sacred walls of Notre Dame. 92 00:08:13,430 --> 00:08:15,307 This weird and wonderful place 93 00:08:15,390 --> 00:08:18,382 has inspired some great literary creations, 94 00:08:18,470 --> 00:08:21,030 including Victor Hugo's Hunchback. 95 00:08:24,470 --> 00:08:27,542 It's quite magical climbing up the towers of Notre Dame. 96 00:08:27,630 --> 00:08:30,144 It reminds me of coming here as a kid. 97 00:08:30,230 --> 00:08:32,744 I was maybe nine, I was a bit scared 98 00:08:32,830 --> 00:08:35,469 because I wasn't sure about what I would find at the top. 99 00:08:35,550 --> 00:08:37,586 Maybe the Hunchback. 100 00:08:48,510 --> 00:08:50,182 Yeah, here's the prize. 101 00:08:50,270 --> 00:08:54,229 The frightening gargoyles, the guardians of Paris. 102 00:08:54,310 --> 00:08:57,666 They're surveying the city sprawling off into the distance. 103 00:09:01,990 --> 00:09:05,300 The grotesque faces are supposed to ward off evil spirits 104 00:09:05,390 --> 00:09:07,267 and look after the cathedral. 105 00:09:10,670 --> 00:09:14,345 Now I'm going to take you to a place that visitors never get to go. 106 00:09:17,870 --> 00:09:19,349 Wow. 107 00:09:19,430 --> 00:09:22,422 This is the perfect way to experience Paris. 108 00:09:22,510 --> 00:09:25,149 Of course, it has changed a lot since the Middle Ages. 109 00:09:25,230 --> 00:09:26,902 I can see the Sainte-Chapelle. 110 00:09:26,990 --> 00:09:32,018 That's one of the very last masterpieces in the Middle Ages which survived. 111 00:09:34,270 --> 00:09:38,707 It used to be the chapel of kings, part of the city's original palace. 112 00:09:39,750 --> 00:09:43,140 It is famed around the world for its stunning stained-glass windows, 113 00:09:43,230 --> 00:09:47,143 which cover an amazing two thirds of the surface area of the chapel. 114 00:09:50,190 --> 00:09:53,978 There's another medieval building which is much less well known 115 00:09:54,070 --> 00:09:57,301 but every bit as important to getting to know the lost city. 116 00:09:58,550 --> 00:10:01,542 It's the house we saw from the police boat. 117 00:10:01,630 --> 00:10:05,748 I've been keen to visit it ever since Major Roux pointed it out. 118 00:10:08,990 --> 00:10:12,869 It's the scene of the most romantic story in the history of Paris, 119 00:10:12,950 --> 00:10:15,589 the story of Abelard and Heloise, 120 00:10:15,670 --> 00:10:19,822 our very own Romeo and Juliet set in the 1 2th century. 121 00:10:23,430 --> 00:10:25,864 It's quite amazing being here, and quite unique, 122 00:10:25,950 --> 00:10:30,262 'cause there are so few rooms left from the Middle Ages in Paris. 123 00:10:30,350 --> 00:10:33,387 And it's where the scholars used to live and study, 124 00:10:33,470 --> 00:10:35,665 very close to the cathedral. 125 00:10:36,470 --> 00:10:39,746 You can see the wooden panels still sculpted. 126 00:10:42,030 --> 00:10:43,509 This is fantastic. 127 00:10:45,670 --> 00:10:49,458 Abelard was a very brilliant philosopher in the Middle Ages 128 00:10:49,550 --> 00:10:54,180 and Helo.ise was the niece of Fulbert, who was the Canon of Notre Dame. 129 00:10:54,430 --> 00:10:58,343 And they met, they fell in love, they married secretly, they had a child, 130 00:10:58,430 --> 00:11:01,820 and Fulbert was really mad with anger 131 00:11:01,910 --> 00:11:06,222 and had Abelard castrated and Helo.ise sent to a convent. 132 00:11:09,870 --> 00:11:14,261 The blighted couple never met again, though they exchanged many love letters. 133 00:11:14,350 --> 00:11:18,741 Their passion had brought them disgrace and the most vicious punishment. 134 00:11:36,310 --> 00:11:41,020 Medieval Paris was a city of extremes, a hotbed of culture and violence. 135 00:11:46,230 --> 00:11:49,939 The centuries to follow were times of war, disease and turbulence. 136 00:11:53,430 --> 00:11:57,309 Several rulers tried to turn the tide against chaos but failed. 137 00:12:00,230 --> 00:12:03,586 Paris was waiting for my favourite king, Henri IV, 138 00:12:03,670 --> 00:12:06,184 who came to the throne in 1 589. 139 00:12:06,270 --> 00:12:08,579 Henri IV is the archetype of the good king 140 00:12:08,670 --> 00:12:12,788 because he brought the peace, the tolerance and wealth to the country, 141 00:12:12,870 --> 00:12:15,703 and he also had a great vision for the city. 142 00:12:15,790 --> 00:12:19,749 We call the 1 7th century our greatest, le grand siecle, 143 00:12:19,830 --> 00:12:21,980 and it's partly thanks to him. 144 00:12:25,550 --> 00:12:27,302 Like so many French rulers, 145 00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:29,950 he wanted to ring the changes in a big way. 146 00:12:32,270 --> 00:12:35,342 But this wasn't just about making Paris look good. 147 00:12:35,430 --> 00:12:37,022 It was about bringing culture 148 00:12:37,110 --> 00:12:40,659 and creating jobs and homes for his subjects in style. 149 00:12:45,110 --> 00:12:47,146 To see what Henri was trying to do, 150 00:12:47,230 --> 00:12:50,825 just head to the Place des Vosges in the Marais district. 151 00:13:00,670 --> 00:13:04,026 Henri IV wanted to make Paris one of the jewels of Europe, 152 00:13:04,110 --> 00:13:06,704 so he gave us this magnificent square. 153 00:13:08,590 --> 00:13:11,184 It's one of the city's hidden glories, 154 00:13:11,270 --> 00:13:14,103 just off the beaten track and easily missed. 155 00:13:14,950 --> 00:13:17,145 It was inspired by the colonnaded squares 156 00:13:17,230 --> 00:13:19,460 of Italy's great Renaissance cities. 157 00:13:20,430 --> 00:13:23,866 Henri was determined to rid Paris of its medieval image, 158 00:13:23,950 --> 00:13:27,909 so the builders were not allowed to use timber, only stone and brick. 159 00:13:29,070 --> 00:13:32,380 When it was first built, it must have looked so modern and imposing 160 00:13:32,470 --> 00:13:34,825 among all the timber-framed hovels. 161 00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:36,423 No wonder it soon became 162 00:13:36,510 --> 00:13:39,229 the most glamorous and fashionable place to live. 163 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:45,663 Here, it's one of my favourite places in Paris. 164 00:13:45,750 --> 00:13:48,218 I used to come here with my friend, 165 00:13:48,310 --> 00:13:51,620 who used to live in Rue Saint-Paul, not far away from here. 166 00:13:51,710 --> 00:13:54,543 And we used to come here, you see, 167 00:13:54,630 --> 00:13:58,418 reading, just chatting away, just having a sandwich, 168 00:13:58,510 --> 00:14:00,262 and it hasn't changed. 169 00:14:00,350 --> 00:14:04,468 I often come back, and it's the perfect Sunday promenade. 170 00:14:04,550 --> 00:14:08,941 It's one of those few places in Paris which are very peaceful, 171 00:14:09,030 --> 00:14:10,429 and I like them. 172 00:14:10,590 --> 00:14:14,902 Just talking about those buildings, they're absolutely elegant. 173 00:14:14,990 --> 00:14:16,821 I've never been inside. 174 00:14:16,910 --> 00:14:21,188 Our fantasy, I think, has been always to have a place here, 175 00:14:21,270 --> 00:14:24,740 but, as you can expect, it's very expensive, 176 00:14:24,830 --> 00:14:27,822 and I think none of them are on sale. 177 00:14:29,790 --> 00:14:32,941 So I guess I will have to win the lottery, then. 178 00:14:35,350 --> 00:14:37,466 The most sought-after location in the square 179 00:14:37,550 --> 00:14:40,826 has always been the house Henri IVreserved for himself. 180 00:14:43,430 --> 00:14:47,628 Today the top-floor apartment is the home of a doctor, Pablo Goldsmith. 181 00:14:53,830 --> 00:14:57,505 Wow. This is an absolutely amazing view. Come on. 182 00:14:57,590 --> 00:14:59,740 I've never seen such a view like that. 183 00:14:59,830 --> 00:15:01,502 GOLDSMITH: Yes, we have the whole view 184 00:15:01,590 --> 00:15:03,979 because it's the highest point on the Place. 185 00:15:04,070 --> 00:15:09,190 Do you have, like, a special bond to this place to decide to live here? 186 00:15:09,270 --> 00:15:11,784 Yes, I was very lucky to get it, and... 187 00:15:11,870 --> 00:15:13,428 -To get it? -Yes. 188 00:15:13,510 --> 00:15:14,989 It's very interesting the way that 189 00:15:15,070 --> 00:15:17,709 if you are here in the middle, you see the Place like a mirror, 190 00:15:17,790 --> 00:15:19,906 so you can reflect one part on the other. 191 00:15:19,990 --> 00:15:21,742 -Absolutely. -And also, you see... 192 00:15:21,830 --> 00:15:25,266 -Perfect symmetry, yeah? -Yes. But it's not a square. 193 00:15:25,350 --> 00:15:27,659 -Not square... -It's divided, 194 00:15:27,750 --> 00:15:31,538 in the sense that if you look from here, none of the houses are the same. 195 00:15:31,630 --> 00:15:34,702 If you start from the middle to the left and you see the roof, 196 00:15:34,790 --> 00:15:36,303 all the windows are different in the roof, 197 00:15:36,390 --> 00:15:38,460 but if you see also the first floor and the second, 198 00:15:38,550 --> 00:15:41,508 the height of every window is different. 199 00:15:41,590 --> 00:15:43,467 It's interesting, because they're all different, 200 00:15:43,550 --> 00:15:45,780 but when you look at them all together, they look so... 201 00:15:45,870 --> 00:15:47,588 The atmosphere makes, like you say, homogeneous... 202 00:15:47,670 --> 00:15:49,706 -The harmony, yes. -It's a homogeneous structure, 203 00:15:49,790 --> 00:15:51,621 but they're absolutely different. 204 00:15:51,710 --> 00:15:53,746 God, you know, I didn't know all those things. 205 00:15:53,830 --> 00:15:55,548 I didn't realise all those things. 206 00:15:55,630 --> 00:15:57,461 I used to come here as a student with a friend 207 00:15:57,550 --> 00:16:00,860 and just, you know, blah, blah, blah, talking on the benches. 208 00:16:00,950 --> 00:16:01,985 Yes. 209 00:16:02,070 --> 00:16:08,384 It's amazing because, actually, there are so few green spaces in Paris, 210 00:16:08,470 --> 00:16:11,268 and you're at the heart of Paris, but also, look at that, 211 00:16:11,350 --> 00:16:14,660 you're just having a superb square in front of you. 212 00:16:18,550 --> 00:16:21,587 Sadly, Henri never did move into his new home. 213 00:16:21,670 --> 00:16:24,309 He died just before the building was completed. 214 00:16:34,430 --> 00:16:38,264 His plans for Paris were driven by the need to reunite the city 215 00:16:38,830 --> 00:16:42,220 after it had been torn apart by the wars of religion 216 00:16:42,310 --> 00:16:44,778 between Catholics and Protestants. 217 00:16:44,870 --> 00:16:47,100 He literally needed to build bridges. 218 00:16:51,550 --> 00:16:54,269 The Pont Neuf was the great icon of Paris, 219 00:16:54,350 --> 00:16:56,500 in a way, the Eiffel Tower of its time. 220 00:16:56,590 --> 00:16:59,627 It was modern, elegant and the symbol of unity. 221 00:17:02,270 --> 00:17:04,340 Completed while Henri was still alive, 222 00:17:04,430 --> 00:17:08,139 the Pont Neuf became a vital link between the Right and Left Banks. 223 00:17:10,030 --> 00:17:12,908 Now it's one of the most romantic places in Paris. 224 00:17:13,830 --> 00:17:16,583 I don't know what it is about the bridges of Paris 225 00:17:16,670 --> 00:17:19,230 that makes them so romantic. 226 00:17:19,310 --> 00:17:22,666 Perhaps it's the way the sun rises and sets along the river. 227 00:17:24,070 --> 00:17:26,789 It's long been the perfect place to fall in love. 228 00:17:28,630 --> 00:17:30,746 But even the Pont Neuf is changing. 229 00:17:33,350 --> 00:17:37,548 Over the past 1 2 years it has been under continuous restoration, 230 00:17:37,630 --> 00:17:40,064 overseen by engineer Ambroise Dufayet. 231 00:18:06,550 --> 00:18:10,145 Many of the 384 mascarons were so badly weathered 232 00:18:10,230 --> 00:18:13,188 that they had to be replaced with new copies. 233 00:18:14,430 --> 00:18:18,582 In fact, over the centuries, almost all the bridge has been rebuilt. 234 00:18:20,990 --> 00:18:23,663 Paris' oldest bridge, called the ''New Bridge': 235 00:18:23,750 --> 00:18:26,628 is now, well, a new bridge all over again. 236 00:18:44,910 --> 00:18:47,788 Soon after it opened, the area around the Pont Neuf 237 00:18:47,870 --> 00:18:50,179 became known for wild parties. 238 00:18:52,350 --> 00:18:56,866 It was always the place to have fun. Comedians,jugglers and singers. 239 00:18:59,710 --> 00:19:01,860 (PLAYING TRADITIONAL FRENCH MUSIC) 240 00:19:03,190 --> 00:19:06,705 Parisian street entertainment has a long and rich history 241 00:19:06,790 --> 00:19:09,463 dating back as far as the Middle Ages. 242 00:19:10,070 --> 00:19:13,267 My friends play in a modern street band called Borsalino. 243 00:20:05,870 --> 00:20:08,509 But there was a sinister side to Henri's Paris, 244 00:20:08,590 --> 00:20:10,706 its crime-ridden slums. 245 00:20:11,230 --> 00:20:14,028 His biggest challenge was to impose law and order 246 00:20:14,110 --> 00:20:15,782 on the streets of his capital. 247 00:20:19,150 --> 00:20:23,701 Even today, there are areas in the city that make me feel very uneasy at night. 248 00:20:28,190 --> 00:20:30,385 I wouldn't normally walk around here. 249 00:20:30,470 --> 00:20:33,860 In Henri's time, you really would have been asking for trouble. 250 00:20:39,670 --> 00:20:43,379 There was really no excuse to be ripped off or robbed 251 00:20:43,510 --> 00:20:46,661 because the street names told you exactly what to expect. 252 00:20:49,230 --> 00:20:52,381 Rue de la Grande Truanderie, Big Rascals' Street. 253 00:20:52,870 --> 00:20:56,146 La Rue des Mauvais-Garcons, Bad Boys' Street. 254 00:20:57,150 --> 00:20:59,106 Rue Mouffetard, Stench Street. 255 00:20:59,190 --> 00:21:01,067 There were a lot of stinky streets, 256 00:21:01,150 --> 00:21:06,224 Rue Merde de l'Air, Rue Chieur, Rue Chiard et Rue Merdeur. 257 00:21:06,310 --> 00:21:09,188 They were all streets smelling of excrement. 258 00:21:10,550 --> 00:21:12,222 But these weren't the worst. 259 00:21:12,310 --> 00:21:14,540 There were even more graphic and vulgar names 260 00:21:14,630 --> 00:21:16,905 that have long since been changed. 261 00:21:18,870 --> 00:21:20,986 Rue Coupe-Gueule, Cutthroat Street. 262 00:21:21,270 --> 00:21:23,830 Rue Putimeuse, Strolling Whore Street. 263 00:21:23,910 --> 00:21:27,300 Rue du Petit Cul, Rue du Gros Cul, Rue du Gratte-Cul. 264 00:21:27,390 --> 00:21:31,941 Small Bum, Big Bum, Scratchy Bum Street. Whatever takes your fancy, really. 265 00:21:41,150 --> 00:21:43,425 Henri did his best to clean up the streets. 266 00:21:43,510 --> 00:21:47,139 He increased the city guard and tried to feed and protect the poor. 267 00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:51,387 In the end, the mean streets devoured the King himself. 268 00:21:51,470 --> 00:21:56,544 On the 1 4th of May, 1 61 0, Henri IV was travelling in his carriage 269 00:21:56,630 --> 00:21:59,019 along Rue de la Ferronnerie over there. 270 00:21:59,950 --> 00:22:02,908 Lying in wait in the shadows was a religious zealot 271 00:22:02,990 --> 00:22:06,187 called Francois Ravaillac, hell-bent on killing the King. 272 00:22:06,990 --> 00:22:10,266 His chance came when Henri's carriage had to pull up. 273 00:22:10,350 --> 00:22:11,942 (HORSE NEIGHING) 274 00:22:12,030 --> 00:22:16,308 Ravaillac pounced and plunged his dagger three times in the King's heart. 275 00:22:16,390 --> 00:22:18,779 Nobody would believe he was a lone maniac, 276 00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:20,428 but even under the torture, 277 00:22:20,510 --> 00:22:24,344 he wouldn't admit he was working for Henri's Catholic enemies. 278 00:22:27,590 --> 00:22:30,946 So that's how the beloved Henri met his bloody end. 279 00:22:31,030 --> 00:22:33,260 But he had done the important work. 280 00:22:33,350 --> 00:22:36,706 He'd laid the foundations, and now others followed. 281 00:22:36,790 --> 00:22:40,499 Paris' reputation was transformed as it became famous 282 00:22:40,590 --> 00:22:43,058 for its countless new palatial homes. 283 00:22:46,790 --> 00:22:48,940 They were mainly built in the 1 7th century 284 00:22:49,030 --> 00:22:50,941 in an area called the Marais, 285 00:22:51,030 --> 00:22:54,909 and known as the hotels particuliers, they belonged to the city's aristocrats. 286 00:22:54,990 --> 00:22:58,346 But don't be confused, they weren't hotels as we know them now, 287 00:22:58,430 --> 00:23:02,139 because back then it meant a grand city mansion. 288 00:23:21,750 --> 00:23:23,980 Of all the hotels of the Marais, 289 00:23:24,070 --> 00:23:28,109 the Hotel Carnavalet is the most elegant and the most fascinating. 290 00:23:28,750 --> 00:23:34,222 With its idyllic gardens and courtyards, this was aristocratic chic at its best. 291 00:23:35,510 --> 00:23:38,183 The Hotel Carnavalet is now the Museum of Paris, 292 00:23:38,310 --> 00:23:41,586 but there is something else which draws me here. 293 00:23:41,670 --> 00:23:44,662 It was home to one of the most extraordinary women 294 00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:47,469 ever to live in Paris, the Marquise de Sevigne. 295 00:23:52,310 --> 00:23:54,346 This was the era of the salon, 296 00:23:54,430 --> 00:23:59,106 literary and artistic gatherings run by cultured and aristocratic women. 297 00:24:00,830 --> 00:24:03,549 The Marquise was one of the most influential. 298 00:24:03,630 --> 00:24:07,509 She was friends with great writers like Moliere and La Fontaine, 299 00:24:07,590 --> 00:24:10,024 and she's remembered for her own writings, too, 300 00:24:10,110 --> 00:24:12,465 particularly her letters to her daughter. 301 00:24:18,510 --> 00:24:22,139 So this is a copy of the letters by Madame de Sevigne. 302 00:24:23,310 --> 00:24:25,585 She wrote to her daughter 303 00:24:25,670 --> 00:24:30,790 about the Parisian high society in the 1 7th century, 304 00:24:30,870 --> 00:24:33,304 and it's quite cracking, actually, sometimes. 305 00:24:33,390 --> 00:24:35,699 It's quite entertaining and gossipy. 306 00:24:35,790 --> 00:24:39,339 She would have sayings like, ''The heart has no wrinkles,'' 307 00:24:39,430 --> 00:24:43,139 or, ''Fortune is always on the side of the big battalions.'' 308 00:24:43,830 --> 00:24:45,627 One of my favourite bits 309 00:24:45,710 --> 00:24:49,225 is that she used to be absolutely crazy about chocolate, just like me, 310 00:24:49,310 --> 00:24:52,029 and she was absolutely fascinated by it. 311 00:24:52,110 --> 00:24:54,465 She used to write about it to her daughter, 312 00:24:54,550 --> 00:24:57,303 like, ''If you're not feeling well, if you have not slept, 313 00:24:57,390 --> 00:24:59,585 ''chocolate will revive you.'' 314 00:24:59,670 --> 00:25:04,141 But she also worried that it would cause vapours and palpitations. 315 00:25:13,550 --> 00:25:16,667 Chocolate was the great new fad among the aristocracy. 316 00:25:16,790 --> 00:25:20,180 It was healthy, sexy and very elitist. 317 00:25:20,270 --> 00:25:23,945 And the Parisian love affair with chocolate shows no sign of abating. 318 00:25:26,590 --> 00:25:30,583 The annual Salon du Chocolat is a major event on the city calendar. 319 00:25:32,310 --> 00:25:36,428 Chocolate arrived in France during the reign of Henri's son, Louis xIII. 320 00:25:45,030 --> 00:25:47,180 Soon, the chocolat du roi party 321 00:25:47,270 --> 00:25:50,228 was the must-have invitation among the very rich. 322 00:25:51,430 --> 00:25:55,025 All sorts of chocolate, the posh chocolate, 323 00:25:55,110 --> 00:25:57,624 the bio chocolate, the organic chocolate, 324 00:25:57,710 --> 00:26:00,463 the fun chocolate, the industrial chocolate. 325 00:26:02,830 --> 00:26:06,664 There's even a brand of chocolate named after the Marquise de Sevigne. 326 00:26:07,150 --> 00:26:08,947 I'm going to taste it. 327 00:26:11,830 --> 00:26:12,979 (STAMMERING) 328 00:26:13,070 --> 00:26:15,345 I can't really speak at the same time. 329 00:26:15,430 --> 00:26:17,500 It's 70% of cacao, 330 00:26:18,590 --> 00:26:20,740 and it's very fondant. 331 00:26:20,830 --> 00:26:23,424 I don't know how you say that. Like, very melting. 332 00:26:23,510 --> 00:26:25,262 But it's lovely. Very lovely. 333 00:26:27,190 --> 00:26:29,499 Chocolate was very exclusive. 334 00:26:30,790 --> 00:26:33,782 Cocoa beans and sugar were both so expensive, 335 00:26:33,870 --> 00:26:37,021 only members of the royal court could afford them. 336 00:26:38,870 --> 00:26:41,623 This is the quintessence of the chocolate. 337 00:26:41,710 --> 00:26:45,225 Look at that. It looks like a ring box 338 00:26:45,310 --> 00:26:47,983 and you've got one chocolate inside. 339 00:27:12,710 --> 00:27:14,348 Close to heaven. 340 00:27:15,350 --> 00:27:17,545 Chocolate was thought to be good for you. 341 00:27:17,630 --> 00:27:21,623 Doctors prescribed it for indigestion and even for broken hearts. 342 00:27:24,110 --> 00:27:27,341 Sorry, but I need a glass of champagne to go with the chocolate. 343 00:27:30,510 --> 00:27:35,220 Okay, the chocolate fondue, fontaine de chocolat, over there. 344 00:27:43,710 --> 00:27:46,144 (LADYMARMALADE PLAYING) 345 00:27:52,550 --> 00:27:54,825 The highlight of the evening is a fashion show 346 00:27:54,910 --> 00:27:58,425 featuring celebrities and models adorned with chocolate. 347 00:28:02,910 --> 00:28:05,344 One reason everyone loved chocolate so much 348 00:28:05,430 --> 00:28:07,990 was because it was a great aphrodisiac. 349 00:28:11,750 --> 00:28:14,947 The Marquis de Sade used to serve it at his orgies, 350 00:28:15,030 --> 00:28:17,624 and Casanova called it ''the elixir of love''. 351 00:28:21,950 --> 00:28:24,987 Queen Maria Theresa said only two things mattered to her, 352 00:28:25,070 --> 00:28:28,187 chocolate and the King, in that order. 353 00:28:29,310 --> 00:28:31,505 This was a rather astonishing thing to say, 354 00:28:31,590 --> 00:28:35,026 considering her husband was the most famous French king of all, 355 00:28:35,150 --> 00:28:37,618 Louis xIV, the Sun King himself. 356 00:28:46,830 --> 00:28:50,664 Paris prides itself as being in the avant-garde of many things, 357 00:28:50,750 --> 00:28:52,980 a trendsetter for the world. 358 00:28:53,070 --> 00:28:56,949 If there is one man who laid down the blueprint of modern Paris, 359 00:28:57,030 --> 00:29:00,784 it's Louis XIV, the ultimate absolutist ruler. 360 00:29:03,590 --> 00:29:06,707 The grandson of Henri IV, he planned to make Paris 361 00:29:06,790 --> 00:29:09,668 the greatest city the world had ever known. 362 00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:20,541 During his 72-year reign, Louis built new canals to boost trade 363 00:29:22,270 --> 00:29:26,786 and introduced the grand boulevards, which have come to define Paris. 364 00:29:29,070 --> 00:29:31,584 He demolished the city's medieval walls 365 00:29:31,670 --> 00:29:35,629 and erected triumphal arches, like the Porte Saint-Denis, 366 00:29:35,710 --> 00:29:38,429 as statements of his power and glory. 367 00:29:45,350 --> 00:29:49,184 The poorest of the poor were nowhere to be seen in Louis' Paris. 368 00:29:49,830 --> 00:29:53,903 They lived here on the Left Bank, in the Hospital of Pitie-Salpetriere. 369 00:29:59,710 --> 00:30:05,182 You might recognise the name. It is where Princess Diana died in 1 99 7. 370 00:30:06,870 --> 00:30:09,225 Now it's the biggest hospital in Europe, 371 00:30:09,310 --> 00:30:12,347 but then it was the bleakest place in the city. 372 00:30:15,390 --> 00:30:16,789 When it was built, 373 00:30:16,870 --> 00:30:19,543 this wasn't a hospital in the true sense of the word. 374 00:30:19,670 --> 00:30:23,424 It had less to do with charity and more to do with social control. 375 00:30:30,710 --> 00:30:34,100 The hospital chapel reflects Louis'grandiose plans, 376 00:30:34,230 --> 00:30:37,506 but behind its impressive facade lies a disturbing truth. 377 00:30:43,470 --> 00:30:45,779 Louis was determined to cleanse the streets 378 00:30:45,870 --> 00:30:48,703 of the beggars, prostitutes and mentally ill 379 00:30:48,830 --> 00:30:52,664 who spoilt the glorious image of the Sun King and his capital. 380 00:30:59,470 --> 00:31:03,702 Five thousand lost souls were locked up here in appalling conditions. 381 00:31:14,030 --> 00:31:16,942 The mentally ill were chained to the walls. 382 00:31:17,950 --> 00:31:21,465 This was the city at its most divided and segregated. 383 00:31:30,350 --> 00:31:32,580 A world away, on the other side of the river, 384 00:31:32,670 --> 00:31:35,582 Louis lavishly revamped the royal palace. 385 00:31:40,870 --> 00:31:43,304 The Louvre was given a majestic new facade 386 00:31:43,390 --> 00:31:45,221 emblazoned with his own image. 387 00:31:49,590 --> 00:31:53,344 Inside, he created one of the most flamboyant rooms in Paris. 388 00:31:56,070 --> 00:31:58,504 So we are now in the Galerie d'Apollon. 389 00:31:58,590 --> 00:32:02,424 The Sun King chose the sun god to represent himself. 390 00:32:02,510 --> 00:32:07,630 As you can see, the architecture here is magnificent, opulent and stately. 391 00:32:08,030 --> 00:32:11,466 Art and architecture for Louis XIV had to serve one purpose, 392 00:32:11,550 --> 00:32:13,222 the glory of the king. 393 00:32:23,710 --> 00:32:26,270 This type of art isn't to everyone's taste. 394 00:32:26,350 --> 00:32:30,184 You might say it's over the top, a bit like Louis himself. 395 00:32:30,270 --> 00:32:33,387 Back then all monarchs believed they were chosen by God, 396 00:32:33,470 --> 00:32:36,826 but he had an especially high opinion of himself. 397 00:32:39,470 --> 00:32:43,065 ''L'Etat, c'est moi,'' he famously said, ''I am the State. '' 398 00:32:50,950 --> 00:32:52,906 The gallery turned out to be a prototype 399 00:32:52,990 --> 00:32:56,380 for something much grander in scale and ambition, 400 00:32:56,470 --> 00:32:58,506 the palace of Versailles. 401 00:33:02,030 --> 00:33:05,340 Louis' immense palace, 24 kilometres from Paris, 402 00:33:05,430 --> 00:33:08,740 was the largest and most expensive France had ever seen. 403 00:33:09,270 --> 00:33:12,580 It was a celebration of luxury and extravagance. 404 00:33:13,470 --> 00:33:18,988 Louis wanted the best of everything, art, furniture, carpets and tapestries. 405 00:33:20,470 --> 00:33:23,348 This was a huge boost for Parisian industry. 406 00:33:29,070 --> 00:33:33,302 One of the main beneficiaries was the Gobelins factory on the Left Bank, 407 00:33:33,390 --> 00:33:36,109 which became world-famous for its tapestries. 408 00:33:37,030 --> 00:33:39,703 It was the brainchild of Louis' right-hand man, 409 00:33:39,790 --> 00:33:44,147 /ean Baptiste Colbert, to take over the Gobelins in the name of the crown. 410 00:33:47,590 --> 00:33:51,868 Gobelins' mission was to create fine art on an industrial scale. 411 00:33:52,590 --> 00:33:56,344 Colbert wanted to make Paris the world capital of style and taste. 412 00:34:00,470 --> 00:34:02,062 And this being France, 413 00:34:02,150 --> 00:34:06,189 our industrial revolution specialised in the production of beautiful things. 414 00:34:08,670 --> 00:34:12,106 The Gobelins and the nearby Savonnerie carpet factory 415 00:34:12,190 --> 00:34:15,148 became the pride of the nation, and they still are. 416 00:34:15,230 --> 00:34:19,508 To this day the French government spares no expense to keep these arts alive. 417 00:34:21,190 --> 00:34:23,499 We're inside the manufacture here, 418 00:34:23,590 --> 00:34:26,229 and it hasn't changed since the 1 7th century. 419 00:34:26,310 --> 00:34:29,666 They are using the same techniques. It's quite amazing. 420 00:34:31,750 --> 00:34:33,263 And they're all so diverse. 421 00:34:33,350 --> 00:34:37,548 They carry on doing commissions from the State, so... 422 00:34:37,630 --> 00:34:41,509 When it was for Louis XIV, or even in the 1 8th century, 423 00:34:41,590 --> 00:34:45,344 it was more mythical subjects, and now it's more modern artists. 424 00:35:32,670 --> 00:35:35,980 Colbert had another great scheme for making money for the King. 425 00:35:36,070 --> 00:35:37,549 Fashion. 426 00:35:39,270 --> 00:35:42,467 This is when France's reputation for haute couture began, 427 00:35:42,550 --> 00:35:44,859 and the exotic fashions of Versailles 428 00:35:44,950 --> 00:35:47,748 still inspire some of today's top designers, 429 00:35:50,830 --> 00:35:52,707 among them Christian Lacroix. 430 00:35:52,790 --> 00:35:56,669 In a recent collection, he brought the royal court back to life. 431 00:35:59,710 --> 00:36:02,668 Colbert used to say, ''Fashion is to France 432 00:36:02,750 --> 00:36:04,900 ''what the gold mines of Peru are to Spain. '' 433 00:36:05,950 --> 00:36:12,708 I think that he was very inspired, too, by promoting. 434 00:36:12,790 --> 00:36:16,499 It was not just for the sake of fashion or the sake of art, 435 00:36:16,590 --> 00:36:18,945 it was, of course, commercial sake. 436 00:36:19,030 --> 00:36:24,502 During the Colbert period, some people were travelling in the court 437 00:36:25,070 --> 00:36:28,380 in Austria, Germany, Russia, with little dolls 438 00:36:28,470 --> 00:36:33,749 with costumes made by Paris couturiers. 439 00:36:35,710 --> 00:36:39,100 The dolls helped spread Parisian fashions across Europe, 440 00:36:39,190 --> 00:36:42,546 but the industry really took off in the 1 8th century 441 00:36:42,630 --> 00:36:45,906 when Queen Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis xVI, 442 00:36:45,990 --> 00:36:48,140 became the world's first supermodel. 443 00:36:48,910 --> 00:36:51,299 Portraits of her wearing the latest design 444 00:36:51,390 --> 00:36:54,541 were the equivalent of a Vogue magazine cover. 445 00:36:56,950 --> 00:36:59,828 Is it actually Marie Antoinette who launched this idea 446 00:36:59,910 --> 00:37:03,346 of having a seasonal collection or some events collection? 447 00:37:03,430 --> 00:37:06,308 Yes, it was a daily collection for Marie Antoinette! 448 00:37:06,390 --> 00:37:08,108 Yeah, I heard... 449 00:37:08,190 --> 00:37:10,579 Because she used to change it almost every day. 450 00:37:10,670 --> 00:37:12,262 So, actually, people in Versailles 451 00:37:12,350 --> 00:37:14,989 spent a real fortune to just look like the Queen? 452 00:37:15,070 --> 00:37:16,549 Oh, yes. 453 00:37:16,630 --> 00:37:20,589 And I think that they didn't dare to be exactly the same, but very inspired. 454 00:37:20,670 --> 00:37:23,946 When you look at this, it's like Marie Antoinette embroidery. 455 00:37:24,030 --> 00:37:26,908 I wanted to say, that's taken from Versailles, really. 456 00:37:26,990 --> 00:37:30,460 Almost, yes, and it's very inspired by the Queen. 457 00:37:30,550 --> 00:37:37,023 And this velvet was made as it was during the 1 7th century. 458 00:37:37,110 --> 00:37:41,547 It's not obvious in this dress, but I like to mix and match 459 00:37:42,350 --> 00:37:46,104 modern and ancient, the past and the present and the future. 460 00:37:46,190 --> 00:37:49,705 In this collection I was much more focused on the past. 461 00:37:53,630 --> 00:37:56,622 Versailles may have been the most glamorous court in Europe, 462 00:37:56,710 --> 00:38:00,146 but it was decadent and divorced from reality. 463 00:38:00,230 --> 00:38:02,141 What did that mean for Paris? 464 00:38:02,230 --> 00:38:06,781 It had been abandoned by the King, so it was no longer the centre of power, 465 00:38:06,870 --> 00:38:08,906 but left to its own devices, 466 00:38:08,990 --> 00:38:12,665 the city became a breeding ground for radical new ideas. 467 00:38:12,750 --> 00:38:15,105 For the first time in Paris' history, 468 00:38:15,190 --> 00:38:18,466 change threatened to come not from the top 469 00:38:18,550 --> 00:38:21,189 but from the bottom, from the people. 470 00:38:30,230 --> 00:38:35,065 Paris had its very own alternative court just across the road from the Louvre. 471 00:38:37,710 --> 00:38:40,747 While the King and the Queen preen and pose in Versailles, 472 00:38:40,830 --> 00:38:42,741 the people had their own playground. 473 00:38:42,830 --> 00:38:46,823 Le Palais-Royal was a centre for hedonists and libertines. 474 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:57,662 The Palais-Royal was the home of the Duke of Orleans, 475 00:38:57,750 --> 00:38:59,980 a playboy and cousin of the King. 476 00:39:00,070 --> 00:39:04,541 He turned it into a pleasure palace, an 1 8th-century shopping mall 477 00:39:04,630 --> 00:39:08,589 famous for its exclusive stores, cafes and gambling dens. 478 00:39:08,990 --> 00:39:11,823 But most of all, it was famous for brothels. 479 00:39:15,750 --> 00:39:19,106 Here's a book actually compiling, in the 1 8th century, 480 00:39:19,190 --> 00:39:22,227 the lists of all the ladies of the night. 481 00:39:22,310 --> 00:39:24,699 So the listing is quite informative 482 00:39:24,790 --> 00:39:28,339 because you've got the complete list of the most beautiful women 483 00:39:29,270 --> 00:39:31,340 and the healthiest 484 00:39:31,430 --> 00:39:34,786 in the Palais de Paris, which is here, Palais-Royal. 485 00:39:35,350 --> 00:39:38,069 For Grosville, piquant brunette, 486 00:39:38,150 --> 00:39:40,266 quite nice, beautiful body, 487 00:39:40,350 --> 00:39:42,466 her price was three livres. 488 00:39:42,870 --> 00:39:46,624 Hortense. ''Hortense, 20-year-old woman, ugly. 489 00:39:46,710 --> 00:39:48,063 ''Quite spiritual.'' 490 00:39:48,150 --> 00:39:51,825 And she was cheap. She was only one livre, 1 0 sols. 491 00:39:51,910 --> 00:39:54,549 Much more expensive now. ''Mademoiselle Merfie. 492 00:39:54,630 --> 00:39:58,066 ''Big blonde, libertine, but not a lot of wit.'' 493 00:39:58,270 --> 00:40:00,261 Her price was 1 2 livres. 494 00:40:01,070 --> 00:40:02,901 And on and on and on. 495 00:40:05,510 --> 00:40:09,901 They were kept in brothels, what we used to call le serail. 496 00:40:10,350 --> 00:40:13,979 Some of the serails were among those windows you can see around. 497 00:40:14,590 --> 00:40:16,660 And the men would just visit the serails 498 00:40:16,750 --> 00:40:19,548 and just disappear with one of the ladies. 499 00:40:21,190 --> 00:40:25,149 My only regret is we don't have a similar one for men. 500 00:40:26,350 --> 00:40:27,669 (LAUGHING) 501 00:40:29,430 --> 00:40:34,106 Paris had always been a magnet for people seeking and selling sex, 502 00:40:34,190 --> 00:40:36,658 but now something extraordinary happened. 503 00:40:36,750 --> 00:40:38,786 Sex and politics came together 504 00:40:38,870 --> 00:40:42,146 in a way that would change the way we live and love forever. 505 00:40:43,870 --> 00:40:47,385 The new sexual revolutionaries were known as libertines, 506 00:40:47,470 --> 00:40:50,109 and the most famous of all was the Marquis de Sade. 507 00:40:53,110 --> 00:40:54,668 (SPEAKING FRENCH) 508 00:40:54,750 --> 00:40:58,584 One of the authorities on these outrageous times is Ovidie, 509 00:40:58,670 --> 00:41:01,742 a film director, writer and former porn star, 510 00:41:02,230 --> 00:41:05,063 a modern-day libertine. 511 00:41:41,830 --> 00:41:44,981 De Sade rejected religion to pursue sexual delight. 512 00:41:45,910 --> 00:41:47,821 This might not sound subversive today, 513 00:41:47,910 --> 00:41:51,983 but back then it meant he was rejecting the King, who was chosen by God. 514 00:41:59,270 --> 00:42:03,343 In the 1 8th century, God was coming under attack from all sides. 515 00:42:04,470 --> 00:42:07,985 We call it the siecle des lumieres, the century of light. 516 00:42:08,070 --> 00:42:10,026 You call it the Enlightenment. 517 00:42:11,190 --> 00:42:13,750 There's a very special place on the Left Bank 518 00:42:13,830 --> 00:42:16,708 where Enlightenment ideas really took hold. 519 00:42:20,550 --> 00:42:23,622 What started as a private garden for the King 520 00:42:23,750 --> 00:42:26,184 went on to become the home of French science. 521 00:42:35,110 --> 00:42:37,670 The Jardin royal des plantes had been created 522 00:42:37,750 --> 00:42:40,662 to grow medicinal plants for the court. 523 00:42:40,750 --> 00:42:43,662 But with the King away in Versailles, it became a battleground 524 00:42:43,750 --> 00:42:46,310 between science and religion. 525 00:42:49,190 --> 00:42:52,307 Professor of chemistry Bernard Baudot works here, 526 00:42:52,390 --> 00:42:55,382 where some of the most important scientific discoveries 527 00:42:55,470 --> 00:42:57,938 in the history of mankind have been made. 528 00:43:32,710 --> 00:43:35,383 Diderot was a star of the Enlightenment. 529 00:43:35,470 --> 00:43:37,779 Opposed to the Church and superstition, 530 00:43:37,870 --> 00:43:41,180 his encyclopaedia celebrated reason and science. 531 00:43:44,350 --> 00:43:47,547 A trained chemist, he knew every plant in this garden. 532 00:43:47,630 --> 00:43:50,190 One of them, originally seen as a medicine, 533 00:43:50,270 --> 00:43:53,945 would play a major role in earth-shattering changes to come. 534 00:43:54,030 --> 00:43:56,100 Believe it or not, it's coffee. 535 00:43:56,190 --> 00:43:58,385 (SPEAKING FRENCH) 536 00:44:33,590 --> 00:44:35,228 The Procope cafe on the Left Bank 537 00:44:35,310 --> 00:44:38,108 is an old haunt of mine you really mustn't miss. 538 00:44:38,710 --> 00:44:42,498 Opened in 1 686 by a Sicilian called Procopio, 539 00:44:42,590 --> 00:44:44,501 this was the city's first cafe. 540 00:44:46,190 --> 00:44:47,418 It really set a trend. 541 00:44:47,510 --> 00:44:52,061 Within a few decades there were 200 and eventually 40,000. 542 00:44:52,150 --> 00:44:54,141 Paris, city of cafes. 543 00:44:57,670 --> 00:44:59,786 ''Cafe'' is French for coffee. 544 00:44:59,870 --> 00:45:02,145 It was much less exclusive than chocolate 545 00:45:02,270 --> 00:45:04,830 and popular among the middle classes. 546 00:45:11,110 --> 00:45:12,509 (SPEAKING FRENCH) 547 00:45:53,230 --> 00:45:55,380 You wouldn't be a self-respected French person 548 00:45:55,470 --> 00:45:58,587 if you're not having your strong black coffee in the morning. 549 00:45:58,670 --> 00:46:01,059 And cafe culture is very famous here, of course, 550 00:46:01,150 --> 00:46:03,186 in Paris and the rest of France. 551 00:46:03,270 --> 00:46:05,704 And what I like about this cafe culture... 552 00:46:05,790 --> 00:46:07,587 It's what, actually, I miss when I'm abroad. 553 00:46:07,670 --> 00:46:10,138 The first thing, after food, of course, 554 00:46:10,230 --> 00:46:14,269 it's that it's very, at the same time, social, but it can be also private. 555 00:46:14,350 --> 00:46:17,467 And I remember as a student I used to come here 556 00:46:17,550 --> 00:46:22,749 and just staying for hours in a cafe, just paying for one cafe, 557 00:46:22,830 --> 00:46:26,459 and just having all my books and folders and files 558 00:46:26,550 --> 00:46:29,223 all spread like that on the table. 559 00:46:31,150 --> 00:46:32,663 In the 1 8th century, 560 00:46:32,750 --> 00:46:36,379 studies and conversations over coffee would change the world. 561 00:46:37,630 --> 00:46:41,589 The Procope attracted some of the great philosophers of the time, 562 00:46:41,670 --> 00:46:44,104 Diderot, Voltaire and Rousseau, 563 00:46:44,190 --> 00:46:47,739 the forefathers of modern ideas of liberty and democracy. 564 00:46:47,830 --> 00:46:50,219 SANDRINE: So the philosophers would come here, 565 00:46:50,310 --> 00:46:53,939 sit and discuss all the ideas of the siecle des lumieres. 566 00:46:54,310 --> 00:46:56,426 I can just imagine them here. 567 00:46:56,510 --> 00:46:58,865 And all those philosophers 568 00:46:58,950 --> 00:47:03,341 were followed by a much more radical generation of revolutionaries 569 00:47:03,430 --> 00:47:07,708 like Danton, Marat and Robespierre, who plotted the fall of the monarchy. 570 00:47:10,310 --> 00:47:14,701 Paris was about to undergo the most cataclysmic upheaval in its history. 571 00:47:18,230 --> 00:47:21,108 The seeds of revolution were sown on the Left Bank, 572 00:47:21,190 --> 00:47:26,662 but it finally erupted on the Right Bank on July 1 4th, 1 789. 573 00:47:31,830 --> 00:47:35,789 On that day, an angry mob attacked the notorious Bastille prison 574 00:47:35,870 --> 00:47:37,826 in the east of the city. 575 00:47:47,910 --> 00:47:49,741 The Bastille used to stand here. 576 00:47:49,830 --> 00:47:52,185 The outline is... Ooh! 577 00:47:52,470 --> 00:47:54,620 ...marked on the road 578 00:47:54,710 --> 00:47:56,507 like a murder victim. 579 00:47:56,590 --> 00:48:01,618 Now, my mission is to go back safely to shore. 580 00:48:02,390 --> 00:48:03,948 (EXCLAIMS NERVOUSLY) 581 00:48:04,030 --> 00:48:07,340 I might just go very quickly before being run down. 582 00:48:13,870 --> 00:48:18,102 So, where I'm sitting now used to be inside the Bastille. 583 00:48:18,230 --> 00:48:20,869 And Bastille is, of course, the symbol of the Revolution, 584 00:48:20,950 --> 00:48:22,463 but it's also a myth. 585 00:48:22,550 --> 00:48:25,667 On the 1 4th of July, only seven people were freed, 586 00:48:25,750 --> 00:48:27,945 and it wasn't destroyed by the crowd 587 00:48:28,030 --> 00:48:30,749 but later on dismantled by a demolition team. 588 00:48:35,510 --> 00:48:39,788 The salvage was sold off as souvenirs, but despite all the mythmaking, 589 00:48:39,950 --> 00:48:44,102 what happened here in 1 789 didn't just change Paris. 590 00:48:44,190 --> 00:48:46,340 It changed the whole world. 591 00:48:49,870 --> 00:48:52,384 This is where the modern age began. 592 00:48:56,550 --> 00:48:59,110 On August 26th, 1 789, 593 00:48:59,190 --> 00:49:01,750 the French National Assembly, or Parliament, 594 00:49:01,830 --> 00:49:04,549 drew up the epoch-making Rights of Man. 595 00:49:12,470 --> 00:49:13,983 Let me see. 596 00:49:14,750 --> 00:49:17,583 So this is the Declaration des droits de l'homme, 597 00:49:17,670 --> 00:49:21,219 made in the 3rd of September, 1 791 . 598 00:49:21,910 --> 00:49:23,229 It goes... 599 00:49:23,310 --> 00:49:26,063 (READING ALOUD) 600 00:49:26,470 --> 00:49:31,703 So, ''Men, all men, are born and remain free and equal in rights.'' 601 00:49:32,750 --> 00:49:35,025 It's interesting to see that all over the world, 602 00:49:35,110 --> 00:49:37,704 this declaration of the human rights 603 00:49:37,790 --> 00:49:41,863 is considered like the touchstone of individual freedom. 604 00:49:41,950 --> 00:49:44,145 And I'm really proud of that. 605 00:49:52,910 --> 00:49:57,506 Paris will always be known as the first world capital of revolution. 606 00:49:57,590 --> 00:50:00,787 Some of us take it for granted. I certainly don't. 607 00:50:03,310 --> 00:50:06,347 You have to defend your liberty if you want to enjoy it. 608 00:50:10,430 --> 00:50:13,979 (ALL CHANTING IN FRENCH) 609 00:50:16,070 --> 00:50:18,504 Some things never change. 610 00:50:19,270 --> 00:50:22,148 The issues are different, but Parisians still don't hold back 611 00:50:22,230 --> 00:50:25,779 when it comes to venting anger and frustration. 612 00:50:32,870 --> 00:50:34,747 Sometimes things get violent. 613 00:50:34,830 --> 00:50:36,821 (LA FRANCE PLAYING) 614 00:50:39,990 --> 00:50:41,628 In November 2005, 615 00:50:41,750 --> 00:50:45,743 there were riots in the suburbs of Paris which spread all over France. 616 00:50:51,030 --> 00:50:53,419 While some burned cars and fought the police, 617 00:50:53,510 --> 00:50:56,627 others, like rap band Sniper, turned to music, 618 00:50:56,710 --> 00:51:00,066 calling on young people to stand up for their rights. 619 00:51:24,270 --> 00:51:26,147 (RAPPING IN FRENCH) 620 00:51:57,110 --> 00:51:59,146 The French government sued Sniper 621 00:51:59,230 --> 00:52:02,142 for allegedly racist and insulting lyrics 622 00:52:02,230 --> 00:52:04,186 which incited violence. 623 00:52:07,230 --> 00:52:10,108 After four trials, the band was acquitted. 624 00:52:39,870 --> 00:52:41,861 In the wake of 1 789, 625 00:52:41,950 --> 00:52:45,545 almost every single landmark in Paris was reinvented, 626 00:52:45,630 --> 00:52:47,507 courtesy of the Revolution. 627 00:52:48,510 --> 00:52:52,549 Notre Dame became a warehouse and had its statues beheaded. 628 00:52:55,190 --> 00:52:57,226 Sainte-Chapelle became a grain store. 629 00:52:58,790 --> 00:53:01,224 The Louvre became a museum for the people. 630 00:53:02,470 --> 00:53:03,949 Le Jardin royal des plantes 631 00:53:04,030 --> 00:53:07,420 was reinvented as the Natural History Museum. 632 00:53:07,510 --> 00:53:10,422 The original statue of Henri IV on the Pont Neuf 633 00:53:10,510 --> 00:53:12,102 was melted down to make cannons. 634 00:53:13,310 --> 00:53:15,699 The condemned awaiting execution 635 00:53:15,790 --> 00:53:19,624 were imprisoned at the Conciergerie. One of them was Marie Antoinette. 636 00:53:21,510 --> 00:53:24,547 Marie Antoinette was guillotined here, Place de la Concorde, 637 00:53:24,630 --> 00:53:28,145 along with her husband, Louis XVI, and thousands of others. 638 00:53:32,590 --> 00:53:36,788 The guillotine is named after Dr Guillotin, a Parisian. 639 00:53:36,870 --> 00:53:39,259 Today you can find one of these deadly machines 640 00:53:39,350 --> 00:53:41,341 in the most unlikely of settings, 641 00:53:41,430 --> 00:53:43,660 a jazz bar on the Left Bank. 642 00:54:11,310 --> 00:54:14,780 The guillotine was used for the first time in 1 792, 643 00:54:14,870 --> 00:54:17,509 but it's actually not Dr Guillotin who invented it. 644 00:54:17,630 --> 00:54:19,939 It was used by the Italians before then. 645 00:54:20,030 --> 00:54:25,229 And, yeah, it's quite chilling, actually, to be next to it, 646 00:54:25,310 --> 00:54:26,743 but cheers. 647 00:54:43,990 --> 00:54:47,187 Marie Antoinette and Louis xVI were finally buried 648 00:54:47,270 --> 00:54:50,979 at the Basilica of Saint-Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris. 649 00:54:56,990 --> 00:55:00,027 (DELIVERING MASS IN FRENCH) 650 00:55:05,470 --> 00:55:07,779 It's a bit of a journey from the city centre, 651 00:55:07,870 --> 00:55:09,428 but well worth the effort. 652 00:55:09,510 --> 00:55:13,344 This is one of the city's treasures, the resting place of French kings. 653 00:55:20,750 --> 00:55:24,584 The monarchy is long dead and gone, but whatever you think about it, 654 00:55:24,670 --> 00:55:27,468 it's still an important part of our past. 655 00:55:30,230 --> 00:55:33,586 The most touching thing is the Chapel of the Princes. 656 00:55:33,750 --> 00:55:36,822 In those caskets are some of the remains of French kings, 657 00:55:36,910 --> 00:55:40,186 including Louis xIVand Henri IV, 658 00:55:40,270 --> 00:55:42,659 the two men who did so much to build Paris, 659 00:55:42,750 --> 00:55:44,866 now side by side in death. 660 00:55:51,670 --> 00:55:54,980 But it wasn't just the great and good who suffered. 661 00:55:57,430 --> 00:56:00,069 People from all walks of life lost their heads 662 00:56:00,150 --> 00:56:03,187 during the bloodiest phase, the Terror, 663 00:56:03,270 --> 00:56:07,786 which was unleashed by Maximilien de Robespierre in 1 793. 664 00:56:11,030 --> 00:56:15,069 Many of the victims ended up in the catacombs in the south of Paris. 665 00:56:17,950 --> 00:56:19,827 (READING ALOUD) 666 00:56:20,830 --> 00:56:23,424 ''Stop. This is the empire of death.'' 667 00:56:23,510 --> 00:56:27,139 This could be a good metaphor for Paris during the Terror. 668 00:56:31,110 --> 00:56:33,863 This is the most macabre gallery in the world, 669 00:56:33,990 --> 00:56:39,018 over one kilometre of eerie passageways stacked high with skulls and bones. 670 00:56:49,110 --> 00:56:52,341 The catacombs had been created just before the Revolution 671 00:56:52,430 --> 00:56:55,388 to clear the city's overcrowded cemeteries. 672 00:56:58,590 --> 00:57:03,061 The Terror brought wave after wave of corpses of people from all classes. 673 00:57:03,990 --> 00:57:06,299 One victim famously asked, 674 00:57:06,390 --> 00:57:09,985 ''Freedom, how many crimes are committed in your name?'' 675 00:57:10,750 --> 00:57:13,947 This was the Revolution gone most horribly wrong. 676 00:57:16,630 --> 00:57:20,339 Robespierre ended up here, too, after he was guillotined. 677 00:57:20,430 --> 00:57:22,148 Poetic justice. 678 00:57:23,830 --> 00:57:25,388 As well as Robespierre, 679 00:57:25,470 --> 00:57:28,826 there are his fellow revolutionaries, Marat and Danton. 680 00:57:30,670 --> 00:57:33,503 Don't ask me to introduce them to you 681 00:57:33,590 --> 00:57:37,265 because they are among six million nameless Parisians here. 682 00:58:04,270 --> 00:58:08,024 The French Revolution changed Paris and the world forever. 683 00:58:08,110 --> 00:58:12,740 The city faced a very uncertain future, but it would triumph against the odds 684 00:58:14,430 --> 00:58:16,739 and become the world's first modern city, 685 00:58:16,830 --> 00:58:18,946 a magnet to people the world over. 686 00:58:21,990 --> 00:58:27,940 Next time, bohemia, cinema, the metro, the occupation and new horizons. 687 00:58:28,030 --> 00:58:30,669 Paris in the 20th century and today. 688 00:58:32,910 --> 00:58:34,343 For a free bilingual guide 689 00:58:34,430 --> 00:58:37,024 featuring one of my favourite walks in Paris 690 00:58:37,110 --> 00:58:40,261 and more about Open University programmes on the BBC, 691 00:58:40,350 --> 00:58:44,502 call 0870 900 958 1 692 00:58:44,590 --> 00:58:49,300 or go to bbc.co.uk/paris.