“A verdant confetti” is how some describe the Villa de l’Ermitage. It is a memory of a vanished neighborhood. Today we find ourselves at Place de l’Ermitage. It is a unique corner of Paris.
Place de l’Ermitage offers a glimpse into the past. It is a bucolic private lane that winds its way from 14-16 rue de l’Ermitage to 313 rue des Pyrénées. It forks to meet the Cité Leroy. The lane cheerfully meanders for 150 meters. It never exceeds 5 meters in width.
Small townhouses line the lane. Pavilions and artists’ studios stand here too. Each is bordered by small gardens and courtyards. The charming heterogeneous constructions stand out. They have wrought-iron gates and colorful shutters. Residents carefully maintain the vegetation. Palm trees and wisteria thrive. Lilacs, rose bushes, and magnolias flourish. Cherry trees stay green all year round. They burst into a shower of flowers as the seasons change. This peaceful haven is a paradise for cats. It has preserved a bohemian spirit.
In 1860 Belleville was annexed by the city of Paris. At the time Belleville was a large town. Ménilmontant was a village and Charonne a rural hamlet. Little remained of their rural essence. These were former market gardening lands and vineyards. Rapid industrialization had gradually altered the landscape since 1825. Gypsum quarries had allowed a first form of industry to develop. This was before the appearance of the first factories on the plateau. Peasants and winegrowers were replaced by craftsmen. Shopkeepers and factory workers arrived too. This marked the beginning of major upheavals. It also started the perpetual evolution that has marked this district.
During the Second Empire, Paris gained a cleaner look thanks to Haussmann. Belleville escaped this construction logic. Buildings were erected without an urban plan. They vaguely followed pre-existing streets and paths. Villas and estates stood side by side. There were also apartment buildings, warehouses, and workshops. This unregulated development inspired the ancestors of developers. They were already engaged in speculation.
Rustic dwellings in the farmyards had gardens. Parisians enjoyed guinguettes and popular dances on Sundays. This tradition lasted until the beginning of the First World War.
Dilapidated shacks, artisans’ workshops, and Auvergnat bistros symbolized old Belleville. From the 1970s progress bulldozed these nostalgic clichés. The villages of the 20th arrondissement were cheerfully concreted over. The charming working-class setting gradually disappeared. The vineyards of the Belleville hills and the first industrial workshops were long gone. The Villa de l’Ermitage is a green remnant. It is a reminder of a lost district.
This typical passage is indicated on the land register of the commune of Belleville as early as 1812. From 1857 it was built to become an alley lined with houses.
In the 19th century construction rules were flexible. The Villa de l’Ermitage seems to have benefited from a special status. Houses could not exceed 3 meters in height. Industrial workshops and steam engines were prohibited. This preserved the setting. In 1877 a prefectural decree united the Villa de l’Ermitage. It joined part of the former Passage de l’Est. A theater and some offices were built. There were no less than five artists’ studios. One belonged to Daki. A sublime wooden statue entitled Père et fils stood at its entrance. The Villa de l’Ermitage exudes an atmosphere of happy tranquility.
This rural village survives in the heart of the urban fabric. Its survival was not guaranteed. Promoters coveted it because of its exceptional location. The Viva Villa de Villa l’Ermitage preservation association watches over it. Hopefully, it will last. This place is accessible at 14-16 rue de l’Ermitage and 313 rue des Pyrénées. The Jourdain metro station on line 11 serves it.