The geography and geology of the Paris Basin have provided the city of Paris with an abundance of materials with which to build one of the great cities of the world. The use of these materials, and the human decisions determining where and how to use the stone and other resources have given the city its characteristic appearance. The net result of this exploitation, is a city in which its geological history can be read in the stones that make up its monuments, bridges, public buildings and homes, and in which the geology has been altered and repurposed by the planners and architects of Paris. After a brief review of the geology, the discussion will focus on the interaction of geology and the city: the materials, the methods of exploitation, modern methods of tracing the source of the stone in specific buildings, the channeling of the Seine and other rivers in the city, and the Parisian responses to the challenges that these activities have created.