Rue des Martyrs

Rue des Martyrs, looking northwards towards the Sacré-Cœur
Above: the street in 2022, now with weekend restrictions on cars
Above: the street in 2006, before weekend restrictions on cars (and before the start of the greening of Paris)

The Rue des Martyrs is a street that passes through the 9th and 18th arrondissements of Paris, France.[1]

The street is an old historic route in Pigalle leading up to the village of Montmartre, linking the church of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette with the Sacré-Cœur.[1] It is lined with around 200 shops and restaurants.[2]

The name derives from the first bishop of Paris and patron saint of Paris, Saint Denis, who was decapitated during the time of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century.[1] He travelled on this road and died close to where the Basilica of Saint-Denis was founded subsequently.

The Cirque Medrano (originally called the Cirque Fernando) was a circus located at 63 Boulevard de Rochechouart, at the corner with Rue des Martyrs in the 18th arrondissement at the edge of Montmartre.

  1. ^ a b c "Rue des Martyrs". Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. 2015.
  2. ^ Sciolino, Elaine (12 August 2016). "'It's a half-mile of magic': Elaine Sciolino on rue des Martyrs, Paris". The Guardian.