Roman Paris for Kids

Before the city was ever called Paris, Romans in togas and soldiers of the Roman legion walked our streets. They called their new city Lutetia, the city of light, which grew to a bustling city of 10,000 inhabitants, and had virtually everything, a Roman outpost could have desired including a governor’s palace, the temple of Jupiter, a large forum, three sets of baths and theaters. Together with our family friendly historian, we will trace the steps of the Romans from the existing remains of Lutetia under the modern city to the well-preserved amphitheater.

We will begin with some information on the background of Lutetia, from its beginnings to the departure of the Romans in about the year 400. We will then head underground to explore the Archeological Crypt where we can investigate the remaining Roman vestiges of the Ile-de-la-Cité: these include part of the Roman port, the wall built to protect the island, and the remains of houses and a set of baths.

With this solid introduction,

Before the city was ever called Paris, Romans in togas and soldiers of the Roman legion walked our streets. They called their new city Lutetia, the city of light, which grew to a bustling city of 10,000 inhabitants, and had virtually everything, a Roman outpost could have desired including a governor’s palace, the temple of Jupiter, a large forum, three sets of baths and theaters. Together with our family friendly historian, we will trace the steps of the Romans from the existing remains of Lutetia under the modern city to the well-preserved amphitheater.

We will begin with some information on the background of Lutetia, from its beginnings to the departure of the Romans in about the year 400. We will then head underground to explore the Archeological Crypt where we can investigate the remaining Roman vestiges of the Ile-de-la-Cité: these include part of the Roman port, the wall built to protect the island, and the remains of houses and a set of baths.

With this solid introduction, we will take a short walk up what was the main road through Lutetia which will take us to one of the largest baths built by the Romans. Time permitting, we will pop inside the museum to see the cold bath whose walls, ceiling and pool are still intact.

Continuing up the Roman road, we will visit the superb amphitheater hidden behind the buildings of modern Paris. Here great spectacles took place: large plays, mock hunts, fights with wild beasts, combats between gladiators and even mock sea battles for which the amphitheater was flooded with water. While we learn about the importance of the site, we will see where the spectators sat, the stage where the plays were performed, the arena where the spectacles took place, and even some of the cages where the animals were kept before the shows. We will end the walk at the former site of the forum, which will give us a better idea of the layout of Lutetia's town center.

A booklet including a time line, diagrams, pictures and activities will help bring Lutetia and its people alive for children big and small. This walk should enchant all who love the distant past, and who enjoy imagining the ghostly figures and voices of those in whose footsteps we walk. It is a great walk for young visitors who have already visited Italy and especially those who have participated in our Ancient Rome Discovery.