At the time of the Paris Commune, Montmartre was still just a hill on the outskirts of the city, covered with gardens, mills and little footpaths, far from the dense urbanisation we know today. Its name, inherited from the god of war Mars, whose temple dominated ancient Lutetia, seems to herald events: it was on the Butte on 18 March 1871 that the uprising that was to turn Paris upside down began. Thiers' government's attempt to take back the cannons stored by the Garde Nationale on the Butte sparked off the mobilisation of the inhabitants, and led to the outbreak of the Commune. Montmartre then became one of the epicentres of Communard action, followed by an intense resistance movement until the deadly clashes of Bloody Week in May 1871.

This route takes in some of the most important places in the history of the Commune: the site of the execution of Generals Lecomte and Clément-Thomas - the former having been given the mission of retaking the cannons of Montmartre - the same spot where Versailles troops massacred men, women and children during Bloody Week, as well as the points of resistance held to the bitter end by the Communards, many of them women. You'll also come across squares and commemorative plaques dedicated to figures from the Commune, schools that were opened during this period, and places associated with members who remained in or returned to Paris after the repression. Each stage features an event or personality from the Commune, shedding light on the history of Montmartre during those decisive months.