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
La Semeuse de Paris La Semeuse de Paris La Semeuse de Paris was a consumer credit company owned by the "La Samaritaine" department store in Paris. It sold coupons to working class consumers, who paid in installments. They could spend the coupons at "La Samaritaine" or other stores. The Art Deco building that housed the company is now a historical monument, Georges Dufayel developed a system of buying vouchers through installment payments, which could then be spent in stores that accepted the vouchers. Dufayel owned a retail chain that accepted his vouchers, and they were also accepted by independent stores. These included La Samaritaine,