Unit 8:   Paris in the 18th Century

During this unit, you will read about Paris during the long reign of Louis XV (1715–1774), the much shorter reign of his grandson Louis XVI, and the upheavals of the French Revolution. As in earlier times, a woman associated with the royal household had a profound influence on public works, in this case, Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress. You will also learn of the influence the city had on that wide-eyed American visitor, Thomas Jefferson, in his own architectural endeavors.

The 18 th century was a time of intellectual ferment and scientific exploration, and one theme that runs through the architectural changes in Paris during this time is the expansion of buildings devoted to new interests, such as theaters like the Comédie Française and a military school, the École Militaire, for the sons of impoverished gentlemen. Keep your eye open also for the conversion of sacred spaces into secular ones, and for the new—and much despised—wall constructed around Paris .