Montmartre (which translates to: Hill of the Martyrs) is a hill in Paris and a historic district located on it. Originally an independent commune, it was incorporated into Paris in 1860 and became part of the 18th arrondissement. Montmartre is located in the north of the city and is the highest natural point in Paris. Its summit, at an altitude of 130.53 meters, is located in the area of the Calvaire cemetery, near the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church. A funicular or a staircase of 222 steps leads to the summit. It is one of the most important tourist destinations in Paris. Among the notable landmarks here are the Sacré-Cœur basilica and the world-famous French cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, at the foot of the hill. The metro lines 2 (stations Anvers, Pigalle, and Blanche) and line 12 (stations Pigalle, Abbesses, Lamarck – Caulaincourt, and Jules Joffrin) run to the hill. The Montmartrobus bus line also runs through the streets.

Montmartre was a separate village for a long time, located outside the walls of Paris. Its Latin name was Mons Martyrum, which in French is Mont des martyrs (Hill of the Martyrs). According to legend, the first Parisian bishop, Saint Denis, was beheaded here, along with his two disciples. The legend says that after his execution, Saint Denis took his severed head and went north, where the Basilica of Saint-Denis is now located, where he is buried.

In reality, Montmartre comes from the designation Mons Martis (Hill of Mars), because during the Gallo-Roman period, there was a temple dedicated to the god of war, Mars. Today, the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church stands in its place, which preserves four columns from the Roman era. After the fall of the Roman Empire, during the time of Christianity, the name mont de Mars was interpreted as mont de martre (martre in Old French meant what is now martyr, meaning a person who suffered for their beliefs). During the siege of Paris in 1590, Henry IV ordered two artillery batteries to be placed north of Paris: one on the summit of Montmartre and the other near the Montfaucon gallows, from which the city was shelled.

Historical view of Montmartre

After the creation of communes and departments based on the decree of November 12, 1789, by the National Assembly, Montmartre became an independent commune in March 1790, in the department of Seine. The city walls, built between 1785 and 1788, divided the old parish into two parts. Upper Montmartre became an independent commune, while Lower Montmartre was incorporated into Paris. In 1790, Félix Desportes (1763-1849), a citizen originally from Rouen, became the first mayor of the independent Montmartre. He settled at Place du Tertre No. 3 in 1788 and converted his house into a town hall, serving as mayor until April 1793.

Between 1840 and 1845, the so-called Thiers walls were built, which again divided the territory of the commune into two parts. On January 1, 1860, with the expansion of Paris up to the Thiers walls, the territory of the commune of Montmartre was administratively separated. The larger part, located inside the walls, was incorporated into Paris and became part of the 18th arrondissement, which is called Buttes-Montmartre. The smaller part, located outside the walls, was annexed to the commune of Saint-Ouen.

Most of the historical area of the former Montmartre district is now part of the 18th arrondissement, and a smaller part is located in the north of the 9th arrondissement (the Batignolles district). Montmartre was an important place during the Paris Commune in 1871. On March 18, 1871, Adolphe Thiers ordered cannons to be placed near the city to bombard it. On June 16, 1875, the foundation stone of the Sacré-Cœur basilica was laid on the top of the hill, which was consecrated after World War I in 1919. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Montmartre became a popular place for artists such as Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, Vincent van Gogh, Amedeo Modigliani, or Pablo Picasso. Later, the artists moved to the Montparnasse district on the left bank.

Picasso spent the early years of the 20th century between Barcelona and Paris, where he began a long relationship with Fernande Olivier in 1904. She appears in many of his paintings from that period. After gaining fame and some wealth, Picasso left Olivier for Marcelle Humbert, whom he called Eva. He expressed his love for her in many Cubist paintings.

In Paris, he met people like André Breton, Guillaume Apollinaire, and the writer Gertrude Stein. In addition to his wife, he had many lovers. He was married twice and had four children with three women. In 1918, Picasso married the ballerina Olga Khokhlova, who introduced him to the higher echelons of society. They had a son together, Paul, who later became a motorcycle racer and also drove for his father.

Picasso and Khokhlova often argued

She insisted on proper social behavior, while he was more inclined towards bohemian behavior. In 1927, Picasso met 17-year-old Marie-Thérèse Walter, and they began a secret affair. His marriage to Khokhlova soon ended. Picasso did not want a divorce because, under French law, Khokhlova would be entitled to half of his property. They remained married until her death in 1955.

Picasso continued his relationship with Walter for a long time and had a daughter with her, whom he named Maia. Marie-Thérèse lived the rest of her life hoping that Picasso would one day marry her, and she hanged herself four years after his death. Dora Maar, a photographer and painter, was also Picasso's lover for a long time. They were closest in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and she documented the painting Guernica.

After the liberation of Paris in 1944, Picasso became involved with the young art student Françoise Gilot. They had two children together, Claude and Paloma. Gilot was the only one of Picasso's wives to leave him, reportedly due to his mistreatment and infidelity. Picasso was devastated by this. He went through a difficult period, realizing that at 70 years old, he was no longer as attractive to young women and looked ridiculous next to them. Several drawings from that period clearly show this – they depict an ugly dwarf and a beautiful young woman. Geneviève Laporte, who had a brief love affair with Picasso, auctioned off such Picasso drawings in 2005, and she is depicted in some of them.

Another of Picasso's loves was Jacqueline Roque, who worked in the Madoura pottery workshop, where Picasso created and painted ceramics. He married her in 1961, and they remained together until the end of Picasso's life. This marriage also represented a form of revenge for Gilot. She had been trying to find a way to legitimize her two children, whom she had with Picasso. Picasso supported her in her divorce from her husband, and told her that he would marry her afterwards. However, he ended up marrying Roque instead. Picasso was a well-known figure, and people were interested in both his work and his personal life. He was a versatile artist, and even appeared in films, such as in Jean Cocteau's film "Orpheus."

Every time Picasso appeared in a film, he played himself.

In 1955, he participated in the film "Le Mystère Picasso" (Picasso's Mystery), directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973, in Mougins, France, during lunch with friends. His last words were, "Drink to me, to my health, you know I can't drink anymore." He was buried in the garden of the Vauvenargues castle, in Vauvenargues, Bouches-du-Rhône. Jacqueline Roque did not allow her children to attend the funeral.

Jan Vojtěch