Lesson Plans
The windmill of the Galette in Montmartre
Le Moulin de la Galette à Montmartre
- France
- Wind
- B1
Warming Up
-
How would you describe the condition of this windmill?
-
There are many products that are grinded in a windmill, can you name them?
-
Could you think of any other use for the windmill?
Vocabulary
Cultural Heritage Background
Find more information about the history of Montmartre here.
Listening
Listen to the audio fragment
Thanks to its elevated position, Montmartre was once crowned by numerous windmills. They were used for grinding wheat to provide flour for the inhabitants, for pressing grapes to make wine, for crushing flowers to make perfume and for grinding materials for manufacturing. Then some millers transformed their mills into merry “guinguettes” where Parisians enjoyed themselves drinking and watching cabaret.
Reading the story
This painting from the artist Eugène Cicéri, represents the “Moulin de la Galette” was called “Moulin du Palais” in 1622. It became the property of the Debray family in 1809 and was used for flour production. It was also converted into a “guinguette” in 1870, copying the work of the neighbouring “Radet mill”. Therefore, the Debrays decided to keep only one mill: They chose the “Butte-à-fin”, which was renamed “Moulin de la Galette” around 1895.
It was visited by many painters and had its moment of glory when it was painted by Renoir in “Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette”, and also inspired “Toulouse-Lautrec” and Picasso.
Along with the “Moulin Radet”, it is the last survivor of the thirty mills that once graced the Butte Montmartre. It is also the only one that is still fully operational. It cannot be visited from the inside and can only be seen from a certain distance from Rue Lepic, as it is located high up.
This mill represents the development and industrial transformation of the city of Paris.
Reading Comprehension
Grammar
Additional activities
Learn more about the history of Montmartre: https://www.france24.com/en/france-focus-montmartre-history-paris-tourism-hill-sacre-coeur-basilica-art
The windmill of the Galette in Montmartre, seen by Van Gogh:Vincent Van Gogh’s Windmills of Montmartre
More exercise to learn more linking words https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-learners/b1w005-linking-words
Extra resources for learners
- Links to 4 Elements in Arts Resource Library
- Learn more about the making of a flour with a windmill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z9O9K2xVVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHtguGxR3iM
