Grandes Carrières
In the north of Paris, between the 17th arrondissement and the Butte Montmartre, the Grandes Carrières district takes its name from the quarries that have been openly exploited since the Middle Ages.
High quality plaster was extracted from the quarries, which was used for large-scale construction projects as well as for the design of works of art. The 11 hectares of the Montmartre cemetery are located on this huge site.
The neighbourhood is rather quiet and residential, with mixed architecture. There are buildings from the 1920s known as HBM, recognisable by their different shades of brick, as well as very beautiful and imposing Haussmannian buildings and artists’ lofts. For the more privileged, a few confidential cul-de-sacs, such as the cité Pilleux, hide charming little houses.
At number 189 rue Ordener, the monumental “Montmartre aux artistes” housing estate is worth a visit. Designed in the 1930s by the architects Adolphe Thiers and Henry Résal, it is made up of 177 studios and still hosts artists and exhibitions.
