In a small alleyway on a hill is a peaceful haven overlooking a garden and vineyards: the Museum of Montmartre. A successive place of residence for artists including painters such as Auguste Renoir, Suzanne Valadon, and Utrillo, the Montmartre Museum now houses a fine collection of paintings, posters and drawings that trace the history of the evolution of the mound. A free audio guide allows you to relive the special atmosphere of this artistic site from the Bateau-Lavoir at the Cortot studio to the famous cabarets such as the Lapin Agile and the Moulin Rouge with its famous “French Cancan” dancers (with very imaginative names). Hotel Demarne, a beautiful nineteenth century mansion, was the residence of “Claude de la Rose” (Rosimond), an actor Moliere’s troupe. It is in these walls that the lodge of Père Tanguy was located, who was a merchant of colors of the Impressionist painters. On the first floor you can still admire the workshop of Suzanne Valadon (the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts) and mother of the equally famous Maurice Utrillo. On the ground floor, a shop and a tea room overlooking the garden, the Café Renoir, will allow you to pause before reaching the heart of Montmartre.
© karen Gallo
© karen Gallo
