Parisian serenity awaits you. This is the Cit des Fleurs. It is a hidden gem. Are you ready to discover its secrets?
The Cit des Fleurs is a pedestrian street. It sits in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. This small village within the city is very picturesque. It boasts small buildings and gardens. Each building follows strict guidelines.
In 1847, two landowners created this site. They organized it around a 320-meter-long walkway. Small houses line each side of the way.
The Cit des Fleurs was influenced by the industrial neighborhood. The Goüin family owned a big industrial company. They owned a house for their employees here. Also, there were small factories. One was Caramels Valentin-Picards. Another was Poupées Gerb’s.
During World War II, the house at number 25 hosted a Résistance network. The Gestapo discovered it. Most members died. They were shot in Paris or in camps.
The famous French actresses Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac were born here in 1943. They entered the world in one of the two clinics in Cit des Fleurs.
The Cit des Fleurs connects the Rue Guy-Môquet to the Rue de La Jonquière. The public can access it from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and holidays, access is from 7 am to 1 pm. The diverse facades and calm atmosphere give it a village feel within Paris.
The Cit des Fleurs got its name because the path is lined with gardens. Ernest Goüin founded his company in 1846. It specialized in locomotives and spinning machines. His company grew rapidly. It employed 2,000 people.
Jean-Edmé Lhenry and Adolphe Bacqueville de La Vasserie created the Cit des Fleurs. They did this in 1847 by combining their properties. Strict rules applied to each land buyer. These rules covered facade alignment, building height and garden layouts.
Alfred Sisley lived here in the 1860s. He painted “Vue de Montmartre, depuis la Cité des Fleurs aux Batignolles” in 1869.
The Cit des Fleurs has always had social diversity. In the 19th century, it was influenced by the railway industry. Many engineers built homes here. The Goüin family housed its staff in a large building here.
In 1910, the parish bought an organ. It was likely built in 1898 for Countess Anna de Noailles’ salon. The Amis de l’orgue association restored it in the 2010s.
Painter Simon Hantaï lived and worked at number 21 from 1949 to 1966. At number 25, a plaque commemorates the Résistance network. Colette Heilbronner was murdered here. Other members were deported. Lucien Fontanarosa and Annette Faive had their studio at number 32 from 1964. The French Red Cross has a building at numbers 52-54. Artists Gustave Nicolas Pinel and Norbert Goeneutte resided at number 56. The Saint-Joseph-des-Épinettes church is accessible at number 59.
So take a moment to breathe in the beauty. Let the Cit des Fleurs enchant you.