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Batignolles & Epinettes

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The urbanisation of Batignolles and Epinettes began from 1827 onwards and took off when the first French railway line (Paris to Saint Germain-en-Laye in 1837) opened and was further boosted in 1853 with the interchange at Petite Ceinture (circle line).  More and more of Batignolles  was swallowed  up until nearly half of the area consisted of goods dépôts, warehouses and maintenance shops.

The façades in this part of the 17th are, not unnaturally, less ornate than those around Ternes or Monceau with fewer of the typically Parisian domes which are such a feature of bourgeois architecture between 1860 and 1914. Nonetheless, there’s plenty to see when looking you turn your gaze upwards.

 

Batignolles

Epinettes and the Cité des Fleurs

The cité des Fleurs is one of those “secret corners” which might be light-years away from its solidly middle-class surroundings. It was designed in 1847 by Lhenry and Bacquerie who drew up strict zoning rules (alignment of façades, height restrictions, tree-planting etc.). the painter Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) lived at n°27 before moving into 41 rue Nollet. Another painter, Lucien Fontanarosa (1912-1975) lived at n°32 and among his achievements were four murals for the school in rue Ampère. The entrance to the church of St Joseph des Epinettes is through n°59.

 

painters, writers, composers and other celebrities

Where the 8^th, 17^th and 18^th districts meet is the place de Clichy, the subject of many paintings.

 

Among thoses who lived and/or worked in the area:  Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870) at 9 rue de La Condamine but also at  6 rue de La Condamine with Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)  in 1868. Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884) at rue Legendre. Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) at 14 rue Le Chapelais and 48 boulevard des Batignolles. Louis Abel Truchet (1857-1918) at 4 rue Caroline.

 

Blaise Cendrars (1887-1961) at 17 rue du Mont Doré and surrealist Paul Eluard (1895-1952)  at 54 rue Legendre. Max Jacob (1876-1944) at 55 rue Nollet. Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898) at 89 rue de Rome. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) at 83 rue Dulong. Georges Simenon (1903-1989) at l'hôtel Beauséjour 42 rue des Dames then at hôtel Bertha 1 rue Darcet. Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) at 26 rue de l'Ecluse, 10 rue Nollet and 45 rue Lemercier. Alfred de Vigny (1797-1863) at 1 rue Nollet and Emile Zola (1840-1902) at 23 rue Truffaut, then at 14 rue de La Condamine then at 92 avenue de Clichy.

Arthur Honegger (1892-1955) at 1 square Emmanuel Chabrier and Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894) at26 rue de l'Ecluse. Albert Roussel (1869-1937) at 2 square Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) at 19 boulevard Pereire.

Joséphine Baker (1906-1975) at 23 boulevard des Batignolles.  Maurice Barrès (1862-1923) at 12 rue Legendre then at 6 rue Caroline. The marquise de Ricard had a "salon" at 10 boulevard des Batignolles. Then Nina de Caillas (1843-1884) who was the sitter for Manet's  Dame à l'éventail had hers at 82 rue des Moines.

 

 

landmarks

The place de Clichy which was the limit of Paris until 1860 has as its focus a statue of field-marshal Moncey.It was he who defended the nearby city gate against France’s foes in 1814 and this is recorded by a bas-relief of the event as depicted by Horace Vernet. The Père Lathuile was an inn located on the site of the present-day 9 avenue de Clichy; a contemporary engraving shows Père Lathuile handing out rations to Moncey’s soldiers.  The inn must still have been standing when it featured in a painting by Edouard Manet. The café Guerbois almost next door was a meeting place of the Impressionists led by Cezanne and Manet. In 1906, the Pere Lathuile was replaced by the Bouillon Pascal and the Kursaal, a music-hall at which  Maurice Chevalier and Fréhel appeared; it closed down in 932. The marché des Epinettes (or des Batignolles) dated from 1867 and was demolished in 1975. The théatre des Batignolles, to-day théatre Hébertot, was opened in 1838. Opened in 1810, the Réunion at 8 rue de Lévis was a dance-hall and auditorium for political meetings at which speakers included Ledru-Rollin, Auguste Blanqui, Louise Michel and Victor Hugo; coffee was roasted afeter 1885 before it was turned into housing. The Grands Bains Tivoli used to be at 32 boulevard des Batignolles.

 

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