Montmartre

Montmartre, or mountain of the martyrs in French, is a definite sight seeing destination in Paris. Located on top of a hill to the north of Paris, we had the opportunity to have a guided tour of the place and learned a ton. Meeting our tour guide Jean Manuel at the base of the hill we also met several members of the US Embassy staff who brought their families along as well. Below are some tidbits from the tour:

-Instead of going up the stairway to the entrance of the cathedral, Jean led us immediately to the right of the base of the hill. We followed the road until we stopped at what seemed to be a gated-off cave covered with hanging vines at the entrance. Ever heard of “Plaster of Paris”? It is the original modern plaster, and it is made of ground gypsum powder combined with water. THE original source of Plaster of Paris was this little cave on the side of Montmartre. The entire hill is entirely composed of gypsum mines, and “is like a big mound of swiss cheese”. Even more interesting, when the miners were digging into the side of the mountain, from that very cave, they discovered huge rib bones, and then leg bones, and then arm bones- which came to be the first dinosaur ever to be discovered. All in Paris!
-Montmartre is also known to be the fabric district of Paris because it used to be the center for poor immigrants to move to. The wealthy people lived in the city, but the majority of city workers and domestics (immigrants) lived on the outskirts at the base of Montmartre. Instead of buying new clothes, they would simply patch, repair, or recycle bits of fabric to create new clothing, and that tradition has remained until today. The streets are lined with fabric shops where fabric is sold by the meter ranging in price from practically nothing to €4,000 per square meter.

-As to Montmartre being the site of the first martyrs, an interesting phenomenon has occurred in the centuries since the first martyr, St Denys the bishop of Paris, died in 250 AD. While there is a church over the site where he was beheaded (which is also the same church where the historically important Catholic Jesuit order was founded later on) where he eventually died is another matter entirely. Legend has it that he picked up his severed head and wandered 6 miles and died. The place that everyone initially thought where he finally dropped now holds Saint Denys’s Basilica, but the story gets even better. Since people, especially wealthy people, wanted to be buried next to a saint, it became a profitable venture to have one under your church. Jean Manuel said how some entrepreneurial priest came out with the “official” story of St. Denys’s life, and claimed that he was buried under his church. Immediately wealthy individuals paid him big bucks for the little space in his church, and he became very successful. Before the story came out only 5 other churches claimed to have him buried under their churches, but after the story came out, 59 others began to claim the same thing all over France.

-Picasso lived in a little wooden hovel on Montmartre, and painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907 there. Its important to note that it was a wooden hovel because it was (and is) against the law for houses to have wooden facades in Paris (fires), but because it was a place where the poor primarily lived, no one really took notice or cared. It was a large laundry house, and the owner figured out he could make more money renting out sectioned off rooms to struggling artists rather than doing laundry. Consequently because of the wooden façade to the building, and the history as a laundry house, the place became known as the Bateau de Lavoir (or Laundry Boat). It was then, as is today, a gathering place for young artists to live and produce work. But, as Jean pointed out- “The living standards have increased, but the quality of work has dropped!”

-The Sacré-Cœur Basilica itself is an eyesore for many Parisians, and many people are still opposed to its existence even today. It is a controversial building (“disgusting pile of rubble” according to Jean Manuel) because the architects, when they built it, were at the “end of their tether”. They didn’t know what quite to do with it, and mixed byzantine with Romanesque styles to create what some tourists consider a Mosque at first glance. Aside from the looks it is a vestige of the Monarchy of France, and the historic influence of Catholicism as well. On the outside there are two statues- Joan of Arc (Martyr for the church) and Louis IX (the only canonized king of France). Hence, even before you enter the building, you are reminded of the two things that incensed the Parisians to the point of Revolution: Absolute monarchy, and the crushing grip and influence of the Catholic church for hundreds of years. Once you go inside, it gets even better. The mosaic “Christ in Majesty” is the largest mosaic in the world, and it is located over the main altar in the front of the church. Included in the mosaic are Louis XVI (deposed king from the Revolution) and kneeling in front, Marie Antoinette (his beheaded wife). Even more shocking is the white flag of the French Monarchy waving in the background. Essentially, “if your country went through a revolution, the last thing you want to idolize is the former ruler, much less the ruling power. It’s like having a British flag waving from the Washington Monument and a picture of King George.” And yet there it is emblazoned over the massive mosaic in the basilica for all of France to see.

Despite how most French feel, Jean Manuel told us that there are some French (not many) who still wish for France to go back to a monarchy…

When we walked outside, Jean pointed out a man in a wheel chair who sells little keychain animals made from pipe cleaners. “He has been here every day for 30 years, and hasn’t changed a word.”

Then pointing to a brand new looking shnazzy van parked on the street complete with a wheel chair lift, Jean loudly whispered over the gathered crowds, “And he makes a killing!”