When we’re in Paris, we often stay in an apartment in Rue Lepic in Montmartre. Just across the road is a curious sight for an otherwise urban landscape, a windmill known as La Moulin de la Galette, one of a pair of windmills in Montmartre.
This Montmartre windmill is historic and well-known (but maybe not quite as well known as the one at the foot of the hill… Le Moulin Rouge). What I didn’t realise was that there were originally thirty windmills in Montmartre, but now just the two remain.
The windmill we could see from our apartment window is also known as Moulin du Radet. Further down Rue Lepic is another, obscured behind gates, called Moulin de Blute-Fin. Originally these two windmills in Montmartre stood side by side, but in 1924 Moulin du Radet was moved to its current location on the corner of Rue Lepic and Rue Girardon.
History
Moulin de Blute-Fin was built in 1622 and Moulin du Radet in 1717. In the 19th century these windmills of Montmartre were bought by the Debray family to mill flour. Sadly, at the end of the Napoleonic wars, during the siege of Paris, three of the Debray men were killed. The son of the miller later transformed the site to an outdoor dance hall which became a popular night spot.
The galette in the name comes from the Norman word meaning flat cake. In this case, it was a small flat round bread that originally was served with a glass of milk. Later, the milk was swapped for wine.
Inspiration for Artists
The Moulin de la Galette attracted several artists such as Renoir, Toulouse Lautrec and Vincent Van Gogh. They drew inspiration from these windmills to produce some notable artworks.
Present Day
Moulin du Radet is now a popular restaurant. Unfortunately, Moulin de Blute-Fin is part of a private residence and not accessible to the general public.
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