Paris is the capital of France. It owes its name to the tribe of Parisii that inhabited the island of Île de la Cité on the River Seine since the 4th century B.C. The city belonged to the Romans for five centuries and then it was ruled by the Franks. In the 12th century Paris started growing rapidly of both banks of the River Seine – at that time the Notre Dame Cathedral and Paris-Sorbonne University were built. The development of Paris was continued by the House of Bourbon. The city plays an important role throughout history, due to the French Revolution and Spring of Nations. The subsequent period of the cultural growth of Paris dates back to the second half of the 19th century (French: La Belle Époque). The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 and the first underground line in 1900. The capital of France is the home of modern art movements, such as Cubism or Dadaism. Paris is also considered to be the capital of fashion and the city of lovers.
