Villa Léandre Road, located in Paris’ 18th arrondissement, sits amidst the bustling hilltop attraction that is Montmartre. Villa Léandre is a relic of the past, as is exemplified by the homey air that its Art Deco style maintains. Renamed in 1936 after the comedian Charles Léandre, the street embodies a bygone era, the Paris of 100 years past. Though Paris and even Montmartre itself have continued to urbanize, Villa Léandre has stayed true to the style of arts décoratifs that originated in France and developed during the 1920’s.
The style of Villa Léandre was once more exemplary of the Montmartre around it, a veritable village some years ago. Indeed, Montmartre was known for its scenic views, vineyards, wineries, small communities, and windmills. Montmartre and Villa Léandre evoked an escape from the city sprawl to something more familiar, more comfortable. Villa Léandre stands as a singular gem maintaining such simultaneous vibrant and sleepy atmospheres, all thanks to the art deco style that characterizes the street.
Art Deco, not to be confused with Art Nouveau, is a French artistic and architectural style that founds its roots in a France fresh off the first World War. It is defined by moderated ornamentation, luxurious materials and craftsmanship, and modern design standards. The brickwork facades and individualized gardens of each house embody the Art Deco style, setting Villa Léandre apart as a representation of the city’s history that has been altogether left behind.
Due to urbanization and modernization, this rich history and these picturesque scenes were lost, replaced by smog and steel, but also by museums and boutiques. While Montmartre has much to offer– the strange cemetery that contains the tomb of famous authors and French figures such as Emile Zola, La Maison Rose, Le Clos de Montmartre which is the one vineyard left within the quartier– there is a certain palpable mystique to the Paris of the past that is preserved within the Villa Léandre Road.
Although the antiquated Art Deco architecture of Villa Léandre embodies some aspects of what one might consider quintessential French style, there is another key aspect of the road that contradicts its French nature. Though Art Deco is French in origin, all the houses lining Villa Léandre are inspired by English themes. Thus, the street is a pastiche of French and English styles, giving it a dual nature. Villa Léandre is at once both French and not French, at the heart of Paris while altogether removed from what Paris has become in the modern day. Villa Léandre occupies a unique place in the French Capital, as it constitutes a rather unknown piece of a Parisian history worth learning.
References
Solosophie. “Villa Léandre: An English-Inspired Art-Deco Street Montmartre.” Solosophie, 2 May 2019, www.solosophie.com/villa-leandre/.
Young, Michelle. “Villa Léandre: An English-Inspired Street in the Heart of Montmartre, Paris.” Untapped New York, 12 July 2013, untappedcities.com/2013/07/12/villa-leandre-english-inspired-street-montmartre-paris/.
“Paris Guide Paristep.” Čeština, www.paristep.com/en/.
“La Villa Léandre, Une Impasse Pittoresque Aux Faux-Airs Britanniques.” Paris ZigZag | Insolite & Secret, www.pariszigzag.fr/balades-excursions/balade-paris/la-villa-leandre-une-impasse-pittoresque-aux-faux-airs-britanniques.
Chriswac. “La Villa Léandre. Montmartre.” Montmartre Secret, Montmartre Secret, 6 Apr. 2017, www.montmartre-secret.com/2017/03/la-villa-leandre.montmartre.html.
Larbordière Jean-Marc. Paris Art déco: L’architecture Des années 20. Massin, 2008.