Allée du Moulin Vert

“A green mill?” you might ask, standing here at Allée du Moulin Vert. Allée du Moulin Vert translates to “Green Mill Alley”. It’s a name that whispers of a past quite different from the Vitry-sur-Seine we see today. This alley’s name, Allée du Moulin Vert, is a direct link to the nearby Rue du Moulin Vert in Paris’s 14th arrondissement. Both derive their names from a former windmill. This windmill was transformed into a vibrant “guinguette,” a type of open-air tavern or dance hall, painted a distinctive green. It’s intriguing to think about the revelry that once echoed from this guinguette. It was particularly popular due to its location outside of Paris until 1860. This meant it avoided the city’s octroi, a local tax on goods entering the city, resulting in cheaper wine. Imagine the music, laughter, and clinking glasses that must have filled the air around the Moulin Vert. The Moulin Vert wasn’t just any guinguette. In 1830, it became known as the home of the “Lapins Verts,” or Green Rabbits singing society. This adds another layer of intrigue to this already fascinating location. While the original Moulin Vert is no longer here, its legacy lives on in the names of both the Rue du Moulin Vert and this tranquil Allée du Moulin Vert. The name serves as a reminder of a more boisterous past. It’s a thread connecting us to the history and evolution of this area, from rural outskirts to bustling urban landscape.