Introduction to Ile de la Cité: Ile de la Cité is the geographical center of Paris and the historical birthplace of Paris. The name "Paris" originated from the Parisian fishermen on the Île de la Cité in the 3rd century BC. In the 1st century BC, the Roman Empire army invaded and connected the small island in the Seine River to the left bank with an embankment, starting the long process of the city radiating to the surrounding areas. In the 6th century, Charlemagne built his capital on the Île de la Cité, and Paris, the capital of France, began to take shape. In the 12th century, Louis VII began to build the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral on the Ile de la Cité, and the Ile de la Cité has since become the center of Parisian faith. Ile de la Cité guards the heart of the city, yet is independent from the world. It is free from the right bank of the aristocracy and the left bank of the petty bourgeoisie. It has become a pure land where cultural giants live: Rousseau, Zola, Hugo, Balzac, Maupassant, Mo Nye, Gauguin, Cézanne, Van Gogh... They thought, created and produced France's most proud wealth on the island.