The Merovingians

The Western Roman Empire was falling appart. The Franks , a group of germanic people originated from a region located between the Rhine river and the Weser, start moving westward.

In the beginning, they were seen as a threat to the Empire but they will, at first, collaborate with the Romans, being enrolled as mercenaries and protecting the borders of the Rhine. Finally, they started occupying the areas wich the Romans were unable to defend.

The name Merovingian came from the name, Merovech, great salien Frank king, father of Childeric, grandfather of Clovis and the first of a powerful dynasty. He will choose the city of Tournai as the capital of his kingdom and it will remain so until Clovis' reign.

Childeric will inherite the kingdom of Tournai from his father. Great warrior, he collaborates with the Romans against the Wisigoths or even the Saxons. After his death, his kingdom will be in the hands of his son, Clovis.

Even if his father started to conquer new territories, it is Clovis, with his military campains, who is going to expand the kingdom of the the Franks. His father helped the Romans; he fought them. With the support of the local aristocracy and of the catholic Church, he conquers the Gaul, building a powerful kingdom.

Clovis marries Clothilde, a burgundy catholic princess who tries to convert him with no success. After many battles and conquests, he will finally agree to be baptised along with his sisters and soldiers, in the Sainte-Chapelle (Ile de la Cité, in Paris). You can see a 16th century version of this event in the National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.) under the name The Baptism of Clovis.

The king continues his campaigns but he is limited by other strong kingdoms like the Wisigoths, south of the Gaul, who are trying also to build their own kingdom.

When Clovis dies, the territory is divided between his four sons (under the frank law, all sons were equal heirs) but governed by Clotaire i. In turn, his sons will divide his kingdom and create 3 new ones : Austrasie, Neustrasie and Burgundy. After years of fighting and disagreements, Clotaire II became again king of all the Franks but the unity so precious to Clovis was already condamned.

Dagobert, the last merovingian king, tried to put an end to these internal problems but the austrasien palaces' mayors, the Carolingians, took the power and thus end the merovingian era.

Paris, the capital of the Frank Kingdom

The first signs of occupation on the area of today's Paris go back to 5000 B.C. Some Neolithic instruments and infrastructures were also found in several settlements in the area.

Before the arrival of the Romans, the Parisii, a gaulish people of boatmen and traders, settled near the river Seine around 250 B.C. It became a place reknown for merchandise exchanges to all those who came from the North and South-West of the territory and also from the Mediterranean.

During the Roman conquest, the area of the Ile de la Cité and part of the left river bank of the Seine became the city of Lutetia; it was romanised and grew considerably, becoming prosperous with a forum, baths, temples, theatres and an amphitheatre.

Lutetia was renamed around 212 as Paris, after the Parisii, towards the end of the roman occupation.

It was christianized during the 3rd century with the arrival of St. Denis, who was the first bishop of Paris. He was not very welcomed and Denis was even arrested and condemened to decapitation in the Mons Martyrum (now Montmartre). See photo of the entry of the St. Denis Cathedral.

With the instability of the Western Roman Empire, the city had to defend it self under the authority of the Bishop against barbaric tribes trying to take Paris under their control, like the Huns who invaded the region causing an overwh elming panic. Geneviève, a parisian of barbarian origins but of catholic faith, convinced the population not to leave the city. Later, she became a saint and the patron of Paris.

When Clovis tried to take Paris, he had the support of Geneviève who, after the events with the Huns, had a great influence over the city 's population. Paris became part of the Frank kingdom without any resistance and the king decided to make it the capital.

With the death of Clovis and the fights between his sons, who shared the Frank kingdom, the power of Paris declined. The situation became even more difficult when Charlemagne transfered the capital to Aix-La-Chapelle (Aachen).

Later, only the Capetiens will make of Paris a capital again, giving it a commercial and urban rebirth which will lead it to become one of the most beautiful and powerful cities of the World.

Photo credit

St Denis Cathedral:
- Cathedral entry: Jessica Marsh
- Headless apostole: Scott Jungling
- Necropole: Patrick Down
- Stained glass windows: Jessica Marsh
- Cathedral's nave: Tawfique Hasan
- Detail from the South part of the nave: Tawfique Hasan
- Central nave view.: Yawnn


St-Germain des Près Church
- View from outside in the boulevard: Pedro Varela
- Inside view: TOMOYOSHI

All the photos are under the Creative Common Deeds.

Sources

Internet :
Wikipédia : Les Mérovingiens
Memo : Le site de l’Histoire – Les Mérovingiens
Wikipédia: Clovis I
Wikipédia: Royaumes Franks
Wikipédia: Francs
Memo : Le site d’histoire – Les Francs
Paris Pittoresque
Paris Balades : Histoire de Paris

In print :
Bordonove, Georges, Les rois qui ont fait la France : Clovis, Editions J’ai Lu, 2001.
Jan, Régine Le, Les Mérovingiens, Presses Universitaires de France, 2006.