The History of Montmartre
"From the days of the pilgrimages, in the Middle Ages, Montmartre has always been a spot where barriers are dropped and pleasures are indulged.
With a history stretching back 2,000 years, the village of Montmartre blends religious mysticism, cabaret life and the full-range of the arts." - Montmartre Office of Tourism
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Montmartre and Sacré Coeur - The Second Most Visited Monument In Paris
Montmartre is a district of Paris and home to the second most visited monument in Paris, the Sacré Coeur, whose immaculate whiteness can be seen from a distance across the city. Montmartre also has a long history of being a place of worship. The Gallic Druids celebrated their rites and the Romans built temples to Mars and Mercury on the promontory. In more 'recent' times, Saint Pierre's church was rebuilt near the Royal Abbey in the 12th century by Louis VI. For a long time Montmartre was a country village inhabited by peasants, craftsmen and millers and organised around the old Abbey.
In even more recent times, that is. at the beginning of the 20th century, the Sacré Coeur Basilica was finished. The Basilica is built in the Roman-Byzantine style and was built between 1876 and 1920. Much of the time taken for the build was for the foundations which are massive. Unfortunately because the foundations took so long to complete, Paul Abadie, the architect, never saw the completion of his plans dying in 1884 prior to the Basilica's completion.
Why Is the Sacré Coeur Always White?
Have you ever wondered how despite its age and the inevitable air pollution of a big city, the Sacré Coeur Basilica remains looking so white? The reason it stays looking so white is because of the stones it's made from; they are from Château-Landon, in the French department of Seine et Marne and they produce a white substance called calcin when ever it rains.
When you look at photos of the Basilica or visit it next time, take a closer look and you'll see that the darker areas are the areas where the rain doesn't reach.
Montmartre - The Birthplace of Modern Painting
Artists contributed to the modern Montmartre that we all know after making it their home because of its village charm, light for painting and low rent. The Mont attracted Delacroix, Cortot, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Sisley, Pissaro, Cezanne, Gauguin Lautrec and Van Gogh and when you explore the area, there are many places you can see where they lived, ate and worked. This is what I love so much and think gives Montmartre its appeal.
Artist's Studios in Montmartre
While Montmartre is called the birthplace of modern painting, it was le Bateau Lavoir that was the hub. Bateau Lavoir is a wooden building on Place Ravignan which was built in 1899 and had about 10 artists studios. Even though the conditions were very basic with no running water, freezing temperatures in winter and hot temperatures in summer, it was a popular place because of its light.
Many other studios popped up around Montmartre and Seurat, Severini, Raoul, Bonnard and Delval were just some of the artists living and painting in these smaller studios.
Art is still a very important part of the culture of Montmartre with the Place du Tertre showcasing the work of lot of artists that paint as you watch. I know Place du Place can be a bit touristy but I still love it and think it's worthwhile to visit on your trip to Paris.
Montmartre - The Home of the Cabaret
As well as being where artists chose to live, this area is where artists chose to play and enjoy the pleasures of life, so by the end of the 19th century many of the big cabarets which also formed the reputation of Montmartre were born.
These include the Chat Noir, the Divan Japonais, the Moulin Rouge and Le Lapin Agile. The Lapin Agile was among the most famous being very popular with the Montmartre Bohemian set until 1914. Some of the cabaret's famous guests included Dorgelès, Carco, Courteline, Clemenceau, Picasso, Renoir, Utrillo and Van Gogh.
I've always loved the sign of the Lapin Agile but only recently learnt more about it. The name of this cabaret came from a sign painted by the artist Gill showing a rabbit jumping out of a cooking pot. The cabaret is still popular with shows at night from Tuesday through to Sunday (at the time of writing). Le Moulin rouge, Chez Michou are also still popular with regular shows.
Windmills of Montmartre
Montmartre used to have fifteen windmills but now there are only two left on the Butte. Renoir immortalised the popular balls that took place in this area in his painting, Moulin de la Galette. The Moulin de la Galette is now a restaurant that offers fine food in a relaxed and light filled space.
It's one of my favourite places to eat in Montmartre and I love having lunch here with my guests on our 7 day immersion tours of Paris. On our tour we spend a day in Montmartre walking the wobbly streets, watching the artists on the pavement, go searching for new street art on buildings and visit sculptures, statues, gardens and indulge in a little shopping.
Montmartre Today
Today the area is very popular with tourists and a desirable place to live for locals. Property prices continue to increase and recently the private homes in Avenue Junot and Villa Léandre have become the latest centres for the arts, film and theatre communities.
The area is full of unique sculptures like Le Passe-Muraille Sculpture (the Passer Through Walls - located at Place Marcel Ayme) and the public artwork Wall of Love (Square Jehan Rictus, Place des Abbesses), and with regular flea markets at Abbesses metro station and all the charming cafes to eat in, shows to watch, public gardens to enjoy and history to absorb, it is a thriving modern area of Paris.
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