Napoleon Bonaparte dreamed Paris would be the 'capital city of the universe' and much of what we see - and love - about Paris is thanks to him. The long straight boulevards, the fountains, the galleries and museums- even the bread that comes with European cuisine were brought in by Napoleon. He wanted to make it a city that reflected his imperial ambition. But this city shaped him too - Paris is where he went through his most formative experiences as a young man, where he first tasted power, seduction and revolution.
Dan joins historian and expert guide Stephanie Paul in Paris to explore the story of Napoleon's early life here, how the city shaped him and how he created the Paris we recognise today.
Click here for Stephanie's Napoleonic Paris Tour.
This episode is part of our 'Dan Snow's Guide to Europe' Series.
Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. The production manager was Beth Donaldson.
Join Dan and the team for a special LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday, 12th September 2025!
To celebrate 10 years of the podcast, Dan is putting on a special show of signature storytelling, never-before-heard anecdotes from his often stranger-than-fiction career, as well as answering the burning questions you've always wanted to ask!
Get tickets here, before they sell out: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/dan-snows-history-hit/.
We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.
You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.