Paris in the Middle Ages Paris in the Middle Ages In the 10th century, Paris was a provincial cathedral city of little political or economic significance, but under the kings of the Capetian dynasty who ruled France between 987 and 1328, it developed into an important commercial and religious center and the seat of the royal administration of the country. The Île de la Cité became the site of the royal palace and the new cathedral of Notre-Dame, begun in 1163. The Left Bank was occupied by important monasteries, including the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Abbey of St Genevieve. In the late 1100s, the
Eight maps of Paris from Traité de la police 1715, de Fer copied the entire set of eight and published them by his own name, and is therefore sometimes credited as the sole author. By the 19th century critics recognized the many errors in the maps and sometimes described them as "fanciful" and "imaginary". The titles of the eight maps are: Eight maps of Paris from Traité de la police The chronological series of eight maps of Paris from "Traité de la police" ("Treatise on the Police") is among the earliest attempts to illustrate historical change with maps and shows the growth of Paris from Roman times up to