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 Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France. |
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ParisMontmartre Yesteryear
Bibliothèque nationale de France
It's very difficult to believe today, but the Paris neighborhood of Montmartre and the hill its sits on - la butte Montmartre were once the countryside, covered in vineyards, farms and windmills. Before its annexation by Paris in 1860, Montmartre was a village, there were over 400 inhabitants in 1806, that slowly became a town of 36,000 just before becoming part of Paris.
Just how rural was Montmartre? The rue du Mont-Cenis was once a path that could only be accessed on foot or with mules. Rue du Mont-Cenis was reconstructed in the 1920s and lost its rural feel at that time. Saint Denis' martyrdom is thought to give Montmartre its name. Montmartre is French, with Latin roots, for martyr hill.
After becoming part of Paris, the Montmartre area known as Le Maquis, was a haven for the working class and poor who were displaced during Haussmann's renovation of Paris. Le Maquis was on the north, non-sunny side of Montmartre hill. Legion has it, Le Maquis took its name from French for resistance - Maquis. Before the poor and working class made their way to Montmartre, some called the artists living in Montmartre, the Maquis de Montmartre. Be it true or not it does seem appropriate. Le Maquis was at about the location of the now Rue Caulaincourt, Rue Lepic and Rue Girardon.
This site in French has many photos of Le Maquis: Le maquis de Montmartre en 1890
Windmills in Montmartre, photos from the 1850s:
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Le Maquis in 1904:
You can still find vineyards on la butte Montmartre:
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