At the end of the Hundred Years' War with England, Paris was in a terrible state. By the time the occupying English army had left in 1453, the city lay in ruins, with many houses and trees burned. Louis XI brought back prosperity and a new interest in art, architecture, decoration and clothes. During the course of the 16th-century, French kings came under the spell of the Italian Renaissance. Their architects made the first attempts at town planning, creating elegant, uniformed buildings and open urban spaces like the magnificient Place Royal.

- Pont Notre-Dame: This bridge with its row of houses was built at the start of the 15th century. The Pont Neuf (1589) was the first bridge without houses.

- Place Royale (Place de Vosges): Built by Henri IV in about 1609, Paris's first square, with grand symmetrical houses round and open, central space, was the residence of the aristocracy.

- Where to see Renaissance in Paris today?

Beside the Place des Vosges with itis fine bulidings, there are many examples of the Renaissance in Paris today. Churches include the Tour St-Jacques, St-Etienne-du-Mont and St-Eustache. Mansions such as the Hotel Carnavalet have recently been restored and the staircases, courtyard and turrets of the Hotel Cluny date from 1485-96.

Sun King and Paris