A place of worship for the Gaulois, Montmartre became an important place of pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Denis during the Middle Ages. In 1133, it was under the jurisdiction of the Benedictines, a religious order famous for their mill and vineyards which extended to the present day 9th arrondissement. Strategically important because of its hilltop location, it was taken over by Henri de Navarre in 1590, by the Cossacks in 1814 and by the English in 1815. Established as an independent municipality during the French Revolution, the neighborhood would become a part of the city in 1870. In the 19th century, low rent costs made Montmartre a popular settling ground for artists. Its cafés and painters, from Carot to Picasso, have made the neighborhood legendary throughout the years. At the throne of the hill is the Sacré Coeur basilica, completed in 1917.
In Place du Tertre, visitors will find an abundance of cafés, restaurants and artists vying for tourists’ attention. Just below within the labyrinth of small streets and staircases, the Montmartre cemetery is a must-see. From there, continue towards the Place d’Abesses and the legendary Lapin Agile, a cabaret frequented by Modigliani and Braque. Finally, on the boulevards which line the bottom of the hill is the famous Moulin Rouge, a theatre immortalized by painter Toulouse-Lautrec and birthplace of the French Can-Can.
