Gothic – 12th to 14th century
During the Middle Ages the fortress style of the romanesque buildings was refined and improved by French masons and architects.
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The 17th century was marked by a period of exeptional power and glamour for the French Monarchy. Starting with King Louis XIII and the Cardinal Richelieu who together transformed the feudal French Monarchy to an Absolute Monarchy, by controlling the opposition of the “Grands” (the Lords) and the growing power of the Protestant (siege of La Rochelle, 1628). Mazarin, Louis XIV’s regent, ended the popular revolts of La Fronde.
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The 18th century’s Enlightment brought thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau to struggle against the principles of the old regime and absolutism. In 1789, the state’s financial crisis brought social turmoil, triggering the Revolution. On July 14th, a Parisian mob revolted and stormed the Bastille prison, symbol of the old regime.
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French society likes formality in many aspects of everyday life as obligatory handshaking or cheek kissing 😉 , the use of the vous (rather then the familiar tu) and of titles when refering to a superior or a stranger and the concern about always dressing well.
0 Read MoreRenaissance – 15th to 16th century
The Renaissance style refers to the style of the historic period primarily marked by King Francois I.
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The Revolution ends in 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte entered Paris and was crowned First Consul at the age of thirty. A brilliant politician and a military genius, he took the title of emperor Napoleon I in 1804.
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Modern French politics remain characterized by a Left/Right division of the country even though the border between the two has been recently blurred. In the current Fifth Republic, begun by Charles de Gaulle, enormous executive power is given to the President, who is elected for seven years. His government is composed of a Council of Ministers, led by a Prime Minister.
0 Read MoreBaroque – 17th to early 18th century
The exuberance of the Absolute Monarchy preponderant in the 17th century led to enormous baroque edifices.
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In 1870, the Franco-Prussian war erupted, Paris fell to the Germans and France lost the Alsace and Lorraine regions. Following the defeat, Napoleon III was exiled and France’s Third Republic marked the definite end of centuries of monarchy.
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Since the 1950’s, French people have enjoyed the benefits of mass culture and consumerism. As the fourth economic power, France’s standard of living and level of comsumption are very similar to those in the USA.
Urban life in a city such as Paris has become almost the same as in any other megapolis in the world.
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