Once a royal palace and later a prison, the Conciergerie played a dark role in the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.Located on the west side of the Île de la Cité, the Conciergerie began its life as a royal palace – the Palais de la Cité. The impressive site was chosen by Phillippe le Bel (Philip the Fair) in the early fourteenth century so that he could build a palace that would reflect his wealth and stature. In its heyday – the Middle Ages – the palace was considered one of the finest in the world. It even included a 47-meter-tall clock tower, which boasted the first clock in Paris.By the end of that same century, however, Charles V of France and the Capetian kings chose the palaces of Louvre and Vincennes over the Palais de la Cité (which also includes the current Paris Law Courts and the magnificent Sainte-Chapelle), and what was to eventually become “The Conciergerie” was given over to the Parliament to be used for the kingdom’s administrative offices.