This book offers a new perspective on French architecture, describing the impact of political history on the architectural development of Paris. Through various stages in history from the Roman to the Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern and Modern, Paris: The Shaping of the French Capital shows how the immense political power of monarchs, the aristocracy and church determined the pace and volume of building in Paris and the extent of town planning. Whereas many other great cities owe their historic importance to trade, and to local government (the City of London being a supreme example), these attributes were largely absent in Paris (throughout most of its history it didn't even have a mayor). Arguably, because of this, gradually over the centuries the French capital emerged as one of the world's most beautiful cities, and now is a metropolis with a population in excess of 2 million.