Map of 16th c. Paris

Paris has a long history of being one of the most important and populous cities in Western Europe, but for most of that history it looked very different from today. The medieval city, much of which was still evident in the nineteenth century, was a warren of narrow, twisting streets and neighborhoods that were in many respects their own miniature cities. The shape of Paris, with its multiple urban identities, created an environment that helped determine some of the most momentous events in French history, such as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the Fronde, the Revolution, and the Commune.

This link is to a zoomable map of Paris as it was in the mid-sixteenth century. You will recognize many of the iconic locales (the Ile Saint Louis, Montmartre) but you will also see that Paris was still a compact city without the urban sprawl that has consumed so much of the countryside in modern times.