Paris shows signs of human presence dating back 3,000 years. The Parisii settled on the Seine , it became Lutetia under Rome, traces of the baths and arena being still visible today. By the 12th century Paris had become the political and economic centre of France. The maps in this collection document what was the transformation of a medieval capital into the revolutionary centre of Europe and for two centuries the cultural capital of the world. On pre 1789 maps the Bastille is still present , on other the " enceintes de Paris " ( fortifications ) progress until they are finally destroyed in 1920 to 1956 to become "Boulevard Périphérique " which was officially completed on April 25, 1973