Why Paris is called the 'City of Light'

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, in full swing, some may have wondered why the extravagant city has been nicknamed the “City of Light,” and not the “City of Lights.”

The answer is simple and can be found in the city’s history.

Paris was named the “City of Light,” or “Ville Lumière” in French, during the Enlightenment era—a European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries.

MEDAL COUNT: Who’s topping the table in the 2024 Paris Olympics?