Place Pigalle

Place Pigalle
Place Pigalle

Former name(s)	Place de la Barrière-Montmartre
Namesake	Jean-Baptiste Pigalle
Coordinates	48°52′55.8″N 2°20′14.2″E / 48.882167°N 2.337278°E / 48.882167; 2.337278Coordinates: 48°52′55.8″N 2°20′14.2″E / 48.882167°N 2.337278°E / 48.882167; 2.337278

The Place Pigalle is a public square located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, between the Boulevard de Clichy and the Boulevard de Rochechouart, near Sacré-Cœur, at the foot of the Montmartre hill. The place takes its name from the sculptor, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1714–1785), and it is the best-known district of the Quartier Pigalle, the Pigalle district.

The square and the surrounding streets were, at the end of the 19th century, a neighbourhood of painters' studios and literary cafés of which the most renowned was the Nouvelle Athènes (New Athens).

The Place Pigalle inspired a celebrated song by Georges Ulmer: "Un p'tit jet d'eau, une station de métro, entourée de bistrots, Pigalle ... ." ("A little spritz of water, a subway station, surrounded by bistros, Pigalle ... .")

"Place Pigalle" is also the title of a song written by Alex Alstone and Maurice Chevalier. It was recorded by Chevalier with orchestra (Jacques Hélian, conductor) in Paris on 9 April 1946.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, January 27, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.