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Will Montmartre Hill soon be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site?

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The Editor

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An association of residents from the 18th arrondissement, in partnership with the city hall, is currently putting together a file to have the Butte Montmartre, a true little village inside Paris, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

While the Sacré-Cœur has been classified as a historical monument since 2022, will Montmartre Hill be the second Parisian location (after the Seine riverbanks) to be classified as a World Heritage Site? A file put together by a number of locals should be submitted to the Ministry of Culture in September 2024.


A project that didn't start yesterday

It all started in 2019, when the mayor of the 18th arrondissement and the City of Paris adopted a new resolution: to classify Butte Montmartre as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Without hesitation, some local residents came together and decided to create Montmartre World Heritage in 2022, to take this project as far as possible.

Since then, the association has grown significantly, and now has 80 volunteers, who fight day and night to echo the history of the neighborhood and preserve its cultural richness. Together, they are working specifically on 3 of the 10 criteria required to qualify for the title: preserved architectural and landscape ensemble, a unique and universal witness of artistic creation, and recognition of cultural traditions and neighborhood festivities.


A Historic Neighborhood

And let's face it, Montmartre deserves such recognition, as the neighborhood, the last village of Paris, is a significant witness of the history of the City of Light. It has been the setting of many key events, and countless artists have lived in the area or paid homage to the place in one way or another.

If the request is accepted, it would be a perfect way to preserve the charming small houses and the 38 staircases that attract millions of tourists each year. The highest point in the capital, a symbol of Paris's lively spirit, could then reach even greater heights and become the 5th place in Greater Paris to secure its spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List. "And so, La Butte would join the docks, the castles of Versailles and Fontainebleau, and the village of Provins!"

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