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These long formal gardens, stretching between the Eiffel Tower and the Ecole Militaire, were laid out in 1765–7 as a parade ground for the military school, but the “Field of Mars” was opened to the public in 1780. Three years later crowds gathered for the launch of the first hydrogen-filled balloon. On 14 July 1790, a sullen Louis XVI watched as 300,000 citizens celebrated the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event which is commemorated here annually (see Marais and the Bastille). Five world exhibitions were held here between 1867 and 1937; the 1889 event gave Paris the Eiffel Tower.

The Royal Chapel is regarded as one of the finest Baroque buildings in the country. Finished in 1710, the elegant, white marble Corinthian columns and numerous murals make for an awe-inspiring place of prayer.

In 751 the Carolingian dynasty became rulers of France when Pepin the Short ascended the throne. His heir Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 and moved the capital to Aix-La-Chapelle. Paris fell into decline until nobleman Hugues Capet became king in 987, moving the capital back to his home city.

The poet who shocked the world with his frank collection of poems Les Fleurs du Mal was born in Paris in 1821 and died here in 1867.

This charming and touching grave shows Charles Pigeon and his wife in bed, reading by the light of the gas lamp he invented.

The main graveyard for the district lies beneath a busy road in an old gypsum quarry, though it’s more restful than first appears when you actually get below street level. The illustrious tombs, many with ornately sculpted monuments, packed tightly into this intimate space reflect the artistic bent of the former residents, who include composers Hector Berlioz and Jacques Offenbach, writers Stendhal and Alexandre Dumas, German poet Heinrich Heine, Russian dancer Nijinsky and the film director François Truffaut.

Occupying the east wing of the Palais Chaillot (built for the Universal Exhibition of 1937), this museum is a veritable ode to French architectural heritage, showcasing its development through the ages as well as contemporary architecture. The Galerie des Moulages (Medieval to Renaissance) contains moulded portions of churches and great French cathedrals such as Chartres. The Galerie Moderne et Contemporain includes a reconstruction of an apartment designed by Corbusier, and B4architectural designs from 1990 onwards. The wall-painting gallery in the Pavillon de Tête has a stunning collection of frescoes copied from medieval murals.

The French composer (1862–1918) achieved fame through works such as Prélude à l’après-midi d’un Faune and La Mer , and was regarded as the musical equivalent of the Impressionist painters.