The Place du Tertre is the highest square of Paris, and was created in 1772. Its name means the ‘mound‘, a direct reference to the hillock of Montmartre. All over the square, various artists set up their easels in the afternoon, tempting the visitors and tourists with their works of art: personalized charcoal portraits, water-paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
About 300 artists occupy their rented spaces. They erect their easels and pallets and go about their creative business from around 10 am until dusk. There are about 150 spaces of a square meter, occupied by two artists – each working alternate days. To obtain a permit, the artist has to submit a portfolio for approval.
It’s claimed that the French term ‘Bistro’ started from earlier days in the Place du Tertre. It originated during the Russian occupation of Paris in 1814. The Cossack soldiers would often take a drink in the cafés before their little battles. They would call ‘Bystro’, meaning quickly, before they were ordered to fight. Legend has it that the term Bistro has stuck ever since.
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