Construction of Saint Pierre de Montmartre began in 1134, making it the oldest parish church in Paris after that of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It is the true church of Montmartre, unlike the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur, which will always remain a foreign body.

During the Commune, this church, like many others, was requisitioned in the evenings to host a revolutionary club where residents could express their grievances and proposals for the future. The demands were then passed on to the Commune's various committees for examination. The priests continued to hold services during the day.

Paule Minck set up a school for young girls in the presbytery of the church of Saint Pierre de Montmartre. In general, the Commune attached great importance to education. It introduced free, secular and compulsory education for both boys and girls. The aim of this new school was to provide an all-round education, i.e. one that covered manual skills and theories as well as artistic subjects and physical education. The Commune also created vocational schools by recruiting experienced workers as teachers, as well as crèches for the youngest children.