Paris

Paris is the capital and most populated city of France . With a population of 2 229 095 inhabitants, it is, after Berlin , Madrid and Rome , the fourth most populous municipality in the European Union and, in consideration of the municipal area, it has one of the highest population densities in the world.

The city is located in the north of France , on a bend in the Seine , a fundamental hub for transport and traffic on the European continent . Indeed, the position of Paris at the center of the main land and river trade routes allowed it to become one of the most influential cities in France starting from the 10th century , with the construction of royal palaces, rich abbeys and the famous cathedral of Notre- Dame . Throughout its history, Paris has been prestigeous, influental, one of the most important cities in the Christian world. In the modern age its influence continued to grow: in the second half of the seventeenth century it was the capital of the greatest military power on the continent, in the eighteenth century it became the European cenacle of culture and “enlightenment”, and then moved on to the ‘Nineteenth century to become the city of art , pleasure and entertainment.

Inheriting the history of a colonial empire spanning five continents, Paris is regarded as the center of the Francophone world and has maintained a prominent international position. It houses, among others, the headquarters of the OECD and UNESCO . According to estimates made by CNN, in 2009  Paris was home to 27 of the Fortune global 500 companies , ahead of Beijing , New York and London. The presence in the city of one of the most important international stock exchanges and its numerous economic, political and tourist activities make Paris one of the main hubs in the world. The city is also a reference point for stylists and for fashion in the world.

Tourists often attribute it the qualification of “most romantic city in the globe”, a title derived from the period of the Second Empire during which Paris was profoundly transformed by Baron Haussmann , led by Emperor Napoleon III who wanted to make the French capital the most beautiful city of Europe . That of Paris was in fact one of the largest and most criticized urban revolutions (given the gutting of the historic heart of the city) in the history of humanity.