Art historian Sandrine Voillet tells the story of how Paris rose up from the blood-stained streets of the French revolution to become the world’s first great modern metropolis in just 100 years. From restaurants to Rodin, from boulevards to bistros, and from photography to the impressionist painters, Paris led the way in transforming the way people lived, worked and played in cities. Voillet reveals why Parisians loved their sewers and courtesans but hated Sacré-Coeur and the Eiffel Tower.

Art historian Sandrine Voillet continues her history of Paris, from its origins on a small island in the River Seine to its emergence as a hotbed of revolution. It is a story of elegant squares and romantic bridges, mean streets and sexual excess, cafes and conversation, chocolate and high fashion, guillotines and liberty. In this episode, Sandrine meets top fashion designer Christian Lacroix, leading porn star Ovidie and rebel rap band Sniper. An interactive service is available for digital viewers to brush up on their language skills and hear the entire programme in French.

Art historian Sandrine Voillet tells the story of Paris in the 20th century. How it embraced technology (the Lumiere brothers, Louis Renault and the Metro), counter-culture (Picasso, Josephine Baker and Serge Gainsbourg) and immigration to preserve its reputation as a lighthouse city for the world. But it was not plain sailing. Resistance to modernisation, the Nazi occupation of France and rioting in the banlieues tell a darker story and reveal problems that remain unresolved. Along the way, Sandrine meets Picasso’s grandson and Jane Birkin.