Montmartre, the Hill of Martyrs

Montmartre is practically the only real hill in Paris, and its name has two possible origins. "Mont" is French for hill or mountain. According to the first theory, the name means "Hill of Mars," after the Roman god of war. The second says it combines "mont" with "martyr" to make "Mount of Martyrs."

In the 250s, when France was under Roman rule, Saint Denis spread Christianity there. To an empire ruled firmly by its emperor, he was a thorn in the side, and he was beheaded right here on Montmartre. Legend has it that the saint picked up his severed head, walked about seven kilometers, and lay down to die; people later built the Basilica of Saint-Denis on that very spot to honor him. From then on, this hill was known as the Hill of Martyrs, Montmartre. As you wander around, look out for statues of a man carrying his own head in churches and parks, all of them depictions of Saint Denis.

So why did artists like Van Gogh and Picasso flock to a hill named for a martyr? The answer goes back to the mid-19th century. Baron Haussmann, then the ambitious mayor of Paris, set out to turn a city battered by revolutions and wars into the finest capital in the world. He laid new roads and put up grand buildings, transforming Paris. Montmartre, however, was left out of his plan, so its roads stayed run-down and its streets rough.

To show off his polished city, Haussmann held a World's Fair and invited visitors from abroad. About 45 years later, another grand World's Fair displayed exotic goods from around the world and the latest French technology. Paris came to be seen as a beautiful, modern city, and artists streamed in to hone their craft. But for foreign artists with little money, the big city was far too expensive.

So they drifted to Montmartre, which lay outside the city plan, where rents were lower and the tax on alcohol was lighter. Here, over drinks and music, they created their work. They include Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse and Renoir, whom you'll meet on this tour.