An Animated 3D Video Tour of Paris Through History from 52 BCE to 1889

In 2012, a company called Dassault Systèmes launched an interactive application that allowed you to move about in a 3D historical reconstruction of Paris at different points in its history. The application seems to have fallen into disrepair so that you can’t actually use it, but the 13-minute video above offers a tour through several time periods, including:

• 52 BCE. The area was home to a Celtic group called the Parisii, just before the Romans conquered the settlement.
• 2nd century CE. The Romans ruled here until 486 CE; they called the city Lutetia.
• 1165-1350. The medieval period. Paris was one of the largest cities in Europe.
• 1789. A look at the Bastille during the French Revolution.
• 1887-1889. The construction of the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World’s Fair. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 40 years (eclipsed by the Chrysler Building).

• 3D
• Paris
• video