Art Nouveau Abbesses Metro station
The entrance to the Abbesses metro station is located on Place des Abbesses in Montmartre, and is the only station offering direct access to the heart of Montmartre. It is one of the last three Art Nouveau canopies in the Paris metro, along with those at Porte Dauphine and Place Sainte-Opportune, which serve the Châtelet station. It is also one of several cultural Metro stations in Paris.
Hector Guimard, the grand master of Art Nouveau in France, was commissioned at the turn of the 20th century to design the entrances to the Paris Metro (Metropolitain). Art Nouveau emphasises natural forms and structures, with a profusion of intertwined flowers and plants creating elegant curves.
The Czech artist Alphonse Mucha is considered the “father” of Art Nouveau. The lithographic poster that he created in 1895 to promote a play starring Sarah Bernhardt marked the beginning of this innovative style. The influential actress fell in love with the poster at first sight and hired Mucha for the next six years, propelling Art Nouveau to the forefront of the art world.
Guimard, inspired by Mucha’s innovative approach, established himself as the leading figure of the style in France. Despite its relatively short existence, Art Nouveau was recognised as a transitional art form by UNESCO. Today, the majority of surviving Art Nouveau creations are listed as historical monuments, including 86 metro entrances, three of which feature canopies designed by Guimard.
From Hôtel-de-Ville station to Abbesses Metro Station
The entrance to the Abbesses metro station is simply stunning!
It indeed boasts a balustrade adorned with intricately crafted medallions depicting leaves, an iconic Art Nouveau motif.
The entrance to the Abbesses metro station appears to have always been on the Place des Abbesses. In fact, it originally served as the entrance to the Hôtel-de-Ville metro station on Rue Lobau and was moved to its current location on the Place des Abbesses in 1974. It was listed as a historical monument in 1970.
Although only three Art Nouveau canopies remain in Paris, you’ll find 86 magnificent balustrades marking the entrances to our metro stations throughout the city.
Abbesses Metro Station – Interior decoration
The Abbesses metro station stands out not only by its iconic exterior entrance but also by its interior stairwell.
The deepest station in the metro network, it is accessible via a spiral staircase which leads to the platform 36 m below.
In 2007, the RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens – Parisian Transport Authority) undertook an interior renovation of the station and commissioned several Parisian artists to decorate it with a stunning art exhibition. Seven large-format photographic panels, capturing different perspectives of Montmartre, by day and night, were affixed to the stairwell walls.
These images offer a visual journey through the streets and monuments of the neighbourhood, a kind of introduction to Montmartre as soon as passengers step off the train.
Discover more on Montmartre
Montmartre Village Place du Tertre – Petit Cimetiere du Calvaire – Saint-Pierre-de-Montmartre Church – Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre Church – Sacre-Coeur Basilica – Montmartre Abbey Sanctum Martyrium Crypt – Montmartre Cemetery – Saint-Vincent Cemetery – Le Passe Muraille sculpture – Moulin Rouge – Bateau Lavoir – Montmartre grape harvest festival
Directions: 18th District – Place des Abbesses
Metro: Abbesses on Line 12
Coordinates Abbesses Metro Station: Lat 48.884450 – Long 2.338652
Photo via Wikipedia Commons: Metro map by Hullie at Dutch Wikipedia License
