Route du Bassin n°5

Did the unassuming Route du Bassin n°5 in Gennevilliers always hold such industrial secrets? Today, Route du Bassin n°5 is home to Prolians, a supplier for over 200 trades. They offer everything from power tools and hardware to plumbing and heating supplies. But let’s rewind time, back to when Montmartre, just a few miles from here, was a bustling hub of gypsum mining. The gypsum, formed during the Lutetian Age, was essential for creating plaster of Paris. This plaster wasn’t just for Parisian buildings. It was a global commodity, shipped down the Seine, right past this very area. Wagons overflowing with the white powder would rumble through the Barriere Blanche, leaving a telltale dusting on everything they passed. This “white barrier,” named for the spilled plaster, eventually became Place Blanche, home of the Moulin Rouge. The Moulin Rouge, inspired by the iconic Moulin de la Galette windmill in Montmartre, cemented the area’s reputation for bohemian revelry. The same gypsum that built Paris’s grand structures also fueled the artistic spirit of Montmartre, attracting Impressionists like Renoir and Van Gogh. Their paintings captured the energy of the windmills and quarries, forever linking the two. So, as you stand on Route du Bassin n°5, imagine those plaster-laden wagons, the echoes of the quarries, and the vibrant pulse of Montmartre’s artistic heart. Route du Bassin n°5, a seemingly ordinary road, holds a silent connection to the geological and cultural forces that shaped Paris.