Montmartre, a village, two districts
Montmartre Village developed around the prestigious Abbaye de Montmartre, which was demolished during the French Revolution.
The village remained rural until the late 19th century, then it became a haven for some of the greatest artists of the time. By the early 1900s, the population had grown significantly, leading to Montmartre being divided into two distinct districts.
The old village is centred around Place du Tertre, near the Sacré-Coeur Basilica and Saint-Pierre de Montmartre Church.
A second district emerged at the foot of the hill, near the tollgates of the General Farmers’ fiscal Wall, which, from the late 18th century, attracted open-air cafes, entertainment halls, popular ballrooms, theatres, cabarets, and restaurants.
Montmartre became an independent commune in 1790 and was partially integrated into Paris during the territorial reform of 1860.
Place du Tertre, Montmartre village’s main square
The Place du Tertre, the village square, was established in 1635 on the hilltop (tertre) on land owned by the abbey.
Most of the surrounding buildings date back to the 17th or 18th century.
The former village hall at No. 3 now houses the Maison Poulbot.
The museum is dedicated to Francisque Poulbot.
The painter was renowned in the 1920s for his lovely drawings of the children of Montmartre, known as P’tits Poulbots.
The Tourist Information Centre is located at No. 21, in the former headquarters of the Commune Libre de Montmartre.
This association was founded in 1920 to protect the village of Montmartre.
A stroll in Montmartre village
Montmartre was the birthplace of the Commune of Paris, the civil uprising triggered by the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. Modern-day Montmartre has largely erased the memory of these tragic events.
Rue du Mont-Cenis, one of the village’s steepest streets, offers an expansive view over the northern district of Paris.
Rue Saint-Rustique, the former main street, leads to the hill’s highest point.
The junction of Rue de Norvins, Rue des Saules, Rue Poulbot, and Rue Saint-Rustique was a favourite spot for painters.
La Bonne Franquette restaurant inspired Van Gogh’s painting “La Guinguette” while he lived at No. 54 Rue Lepic.
The Musée du Vieux Montmartre allows you to step back into the Montmartre of yesteryear, an era when artists who revolutionised art before WWI lived and created their masterpieces.
The museum is housed in a 17th-century country house where Renoir, Utrillo, Dufy, and Utter lived during the Belle Époque.
The exhibits include a replica of the Café de l’Abreuvoir, where Utrillo, known as “the painter of Montmartre,” often sat to paint.
The composer Erik Satie lived next door, at No. 6.
At the top of Rue de l’Abreuvoir, you will find La Maison Rose, Utrillo’s house. it opened in 1908 and became the meeting place for artists in Montmartre throughout the 20th century. Over the years, the establishment has hosted artists Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Édith Piaf, Barbara, Charles Aznavour, Claude Nougaro, Jacques Brel, Albert Camus, and of course, Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo, who represented La Maison Rose in many of his paintings.
Many artists lived in Le Bateau Lavoir, an iconic artist residence and one of Montmartre’s major landmarks.
The old village still has several other artist residences, such as Le Hameau des Artistes and La Cité des Arts.
Le Lapin Agile was one of their favourite meeting spots. The cabaret already existed around 1860 under the name “Au rendez-vous des voleurs” (The Thieves’ rendez-vous). In 1875, the artist André Gill created a new sign depicting a rabbit leaping out of a saucepan. The cabaret then took the name “Le Lapin à Gill” (Gill’s Rabbit), which evolved into Le Lapin Agile! At the beginning of the 20th century, the singer, actor, and cabaret owner Aristide Bruant bought it to save it from demolition. You’ll find this lovely cabaret on Rue des Saules.
Le Lapin Agile overlooks the small Cimetière Saint-Vincent, where Utrillo and the composer Arthur Honegger are buried.
Rue des Saules also runs along La Treille, the last vineyard of Montmartre.
The traditional Fêtes des Vendanges, the grape harvest festival, is one of the village’s key annual events and takes place on the first Saturday in October.
Montmartre also pays tribute to 20th-century artists. The Espace Dali on Rue Poulbot features a permanent exhibit of Salvador Dali’s work.
The Square Suzanne Buisson replaces the park of the Château des Brouillards, a mansion that was converted into an entertainment hall.
A statue of Saint-Denis holding his head overlooks the public fountain that marks the centre of this public garden. According to legend, the Romans beheaded St. Denis, the first bishop of Paris, on the slope of Montmartre Hill.
Moulin de la Galette
The Moulin de la Galette stands at the junction of Rue Girardon and Rue Lepic. It belonged to the Debray, a family of millers who were associated with the abbey since the 14th century.
Transformed into a fashionable cabaret in 1833, this windmill inspired numerous paintings by artists like Van Gogh, Willette, Renoir, and Utrillo.
It was restored in 1980, and converted into a restaurant.
That said, the Montmartre village offers much more than the hustle and bustle of Place du Tertre.
Escape the crowds and discover the picturesque labyrinth of alleyways and hidden treasures of the Montmartre district by following the links below!
Directions: 18th District
Metro: Anvers on Line 2, Abbesses on Line 12
Coordinates: Lat 48.886471 – Long 2.340817
Discover more on Montmartre
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 – Le Mur des Je t’Aime – Abbesses Art Nouveau Metro station – Moulin Rouge – Bateau Lavoir – Montmartre grape harvest festival
