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Like Hemingway, US writer Fitzgerald (1896–1940) lived in Montparnasse and frequented the bar La Coupole.

The Square des Innocents is a Les Halles crossroads and a hang-out for street performers and students. It was built atop a cemetery in the 18th century, and two million remains were transferred to the Catacombs at Denfert-Rochereau. The splendid Renaissance fountain, the last of its era built in the city, was designed by Pierre Lescot and carved by sculptor Jean Goujon in 1547. It originally stood against a wall on rue St-Denis, and was later moved to the new square, when the fourth side was added.

Ten years after the original market was demolished, the so-called “largest urban hole in Europe” was filled with this con- troversial shopping complex. This largely underground maze caters to the young, with music shops and boutiques selling trendy fashions. Outside, buskers, students and tourists mill about the steps and gardens. Separate metal and glass buildings house the Pavillion des Arts and the Maison de la Poésie, cultural centres for art and poetry respectively. Today, it’s more of a sore spot than a hotspot and French architect David Mangin has been brought in to revamp the area during 2007–8.

Roman rule weakened under Barbarian attacks. In 450 the prayers of a young nun, Geneviève, were credited with saving the city from invasion by Attila the Hun and she became patron saint of Paris. But in 476 the Franks captured the city. They converted it to Christianity and made Paris the capital of their new kingdom, France.

The Polish composer was born in 1810 but died in Paris at the age of 39. The statue on his tomb represents “the genius of music sunk in grief”.

Following decades of excess by the monarchy and the gulf between rich and poor, Paris erupted with the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 (see Top 10 Events in the French Revolution).

The French composer, probably best known today for his Requiem, was a great influence on the music of his time. He died in Paris in 1924, at the age of 79.

The English novelist (1903–50) tells of his shocking experiences living in poverty in Down and Out in Paris and London (1933).

This immense belle époque exhibition hall was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900. Its splendid glass roof, visible from all over Paris, is a landmark of the Champs-Elysées. The façade, the work of three architects, is an eclectic mix of Art Nouveau ironwork, Classical stone columns and a mosaic frieze, with bronze horses and chariots at the four corners of the roof. The Galleries du Grand Palais host temporary art exhibitions.