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
Esplanade de La Défense (Paris Métro) Esplanade de La Défense (Paris Métro) Esplanade de La Défense is a station on Paris Métro Line 1 on the outskirts of La Défense on the border of Courbevoie and Puteaux. It has an island platform because of limitations on space due it being enclosed in a site originally earmarked for one of the underpasses of the A14 autoroute (which runs through La Défense underground). The station was opened on 1 April 1992 as part of the western extension of the line from Pont de Neuilly to La Défense. Statues have been erected in the station's entrance and corridors. The