Why go
This era helps make sense of the Paris visitors see along the grand boulevards and riverfront. It linked new consumer spaces with civic rebuilding after the Commune, and turned events such as the 1900 Universal Exhibition into lasting architecture. Look for the contrast between old royal settings and a self-consciously modern republic.
The full story
After the Commune, Paris rebuilt both its institutions and its image. The Hôtel de Ville rose again in a neo-Renaissance form, while the ruins of the Tuileries Palace were removed rather than restored. Republican Paris also renamed streets and squares, and Place de la République received its central monument. The period later called the Belle Époque brought a different kind of city life: Le Bon Marché helped establish the modern department store, with fixed prices, advertising and a wider public for luxury goods. International exhibitions gave Paris new spectacles and durable landmarks. The 1867 exposition introduced Seine excursion boats to a broad audience, while the 1900 exposition left the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. Sacré-Cœur, begun after the Franco-Prussian War and Commune, added a very different landmark above Montmartre. Together these sites show a city rebuilding, shopping and staging itself for the world.