Post by mossie on Dec 11, 2011 15:13:35 GMT -5
While answering Sandy and Geordy about various roads in this area, I thought I would give some background on Belleville.
Today Belleville is simply a quartier of the 20e arrondissement, bounded by rue de Belleville, Boulevard de Belleville, rue de Menilmontant and rue Pixerecourt. Prior to the annexation of the outlying ring of villages into Paris in 1860, to form the 13e to the 20e arrondissements, it had been the Municipality of Belleville, and covered a far greater area. The reason lies in the history of the various uprisings, starting with the revolution of 1789. This was followed by successive revolts culminating in the Commune of 1871. Belleville had provided many of the Communards and the last barricade, defended by one man alone for a few hours, was at the junction of rues Ramponeau and Tourtille. After the Commune was savagely repressed, Belleville was punished by being divided between the 19e and 20e arrondissements, with small parts also in the 10e and 11e. Just like the old capital punishment, the place was quartered, just escaping being hung and drawn.
It is easy to see this on the map, the rue de Belleville lies on the boundary between the 19e and 20e, the north side being in the 19e. The church of Jean Baptiste de Belleville, built in the 1850's, being in the 19e arrondissement outside the 1860 quartier. It stands at the centre of the old village, with the Place des Fetes to the north east, once the pleasure grounds. The cemetery de Belleville on rue de Telegraphe, again well outside the official quartier, was established by the Municipality. The most well known inhabitant of this cemetery is Leon Gaumont, who gave his name to the cinema chain. He was a pioneer of “moving pictures”,”movies” in the U.S., and “the pictures” in the U.K. They were shown in cafes and local halls, but the first purpose built “picture house” was built in the Place des Fetes.
To the north was a vast area devoted to quarrying, both limestone and gypsum, the latter being burnt to form the basis of “plaster of Paris”. Because of the very clean white nature of the stone, material from here was exported all over the world, the most notable recipient being the White House in Washington. This quartier of the 19e is called Amerique which some consider derives from this. The plaster became important in the 14th century when Philip le Bel decreed that all buildings in Paris were to be coated with this plaster, as it fireproofed the timber buildings. There had been numerous fires, but this measure prevented Paris from suffering a disastrous fire such as devastated London in 1666.
Quarrying has had an effect which is still visible today in areas such as the Mouzaia, the Campagne of Charonne and in other enclaves of small two storey houses. This is because the quarries were often small scale pits and tunnels which were backfilled with waste from later quarrying and other sources. This means that the ground is too unstable to support larger construction without extensive, and expensive, foundations. More visible reminders are the parcs of Buttes Chaumont, Belleville, and Chapeau Rouge, these were quarries which were civilised in later centuries to form fresh lungs for the city.
Today Belleville is simply a quartier of the 20e arrondissement, bounded by rue de Belleville, Boulevard de Belleville, rue de Menilmontant and rue Pixerecourt. Prior to the annexation of the outlying ring of villages into Paris in 1860, to form the 13e to the 20e arrondissements, it had been the Municipality of Belleville, and covered a far greater area. The reason lies in the history of the various uprisings, starting with the revolution of 1789. This was followed by successive revolts culminating in the Commune of 1871. Belleville had provided many of the Communards and the last barricade, defended by one man alone for a few hours, was at the junction of rues Ramponeau and Tourtille. After the Commune was savagely repressed, Belleville was punished by being divided between the 19e and 20e arrondissements, with small parts also in the 10e and 11e. Just like the old capital punishment, the place was quartered, just escaping being hung and drawn.
It is easy to see this on the map, the rue de Belleville lies on the boundary between the 19e and 20e, the north side being in the 19e. The church of Jean Baptiste de Belleville, built in the 1850's, being in the 19e arrondissement outside the 1860 quartier. It stands at the centre of the old village, with the Place des Fetes to the north east, once the pleasure grounds. The cemetery de Belleville on rue de Telegraphe, again well outside the official quartier, was established by the Municipality. The most well known inhabitant of this cemetery is Leon Gaumont, who gave his name to the cinema chain. He was a pioneer of “moving pictures”,”movies” in the U.S., and “the pictures” in the U.K. They were shown in cafes and local halls, but the first purpose built “picture house” was built in the Place des Fetes.
To the north was a vast area devoted to quarrying, both limestone and gypsum, the latter being burnt to form the basis of “plaster of Paris”. Because of the very clean white nature of the stone, material from here was exported all over the world, the most notable recipient being the White House in Washington. This quartier of the 19e is called Amerique which some consider derives from this. The plaster became important in the 14th century when Philip le Bel decreed that all buildings in Paris were to be coated with this plaster, as it fireproofed the timber buildings. There had been numerous fires, but this measure prevented Paris from suffering a disastrous fire such as devastated London in 1666.
Quarrying has had an effect which is still visible today in areas such as the Mouzaia, the Campagne of Charonne and in other enclaves of small two storey houses. This is because the quarries were often small scale pits and tunnels which were backfilled with waste from later quarrying and other sources. This means that the ground is too unstable to support larger construction without extensive, and expensive, foundations. More visible reminders are the parcs of Buttes Chaumont, Belleville, and Chapeau Rouge, these were quarries which were civilised in later centuries to form fresh lungs for the city.
Let the riot begin! LOL - 
hahahha