An old windmill on the hill of Монмартр repeatedly became the subject of paintings by famous artists. It was painted by Ренуар, Тулуз-Лотрек, Ван Гог and even Пабло Пикассо. The reason for the windmill's popularity among the greatest masters of the brush is simple: one of the most popular taverns of 19th-century Монмартр was located here.
The windmill became famous after its owners came up with a successful recipe for black bread called «Галлет», which Parisians loved and which gave their business its name. A little later, the resourceful owners of the windmill began offering, along with their homemade bread, a glass of wine as well.
In 1830, a tavern opened here, offering Parisians peaceful relaxation in a pastoral rural setting (Монмартр was then a suburb of Paris). The tavern became popular; residents of Монмартр and visitors from the capital came here, and representatives of the creative bohemia were especially frequent guests. When the area around Мулен де ла Галетт was overtaken by urbanization and the charms of the rural atmosphere disappeared because of the development of the surroundings, the owners of the establishment organized a music hall and dancing here. One of these dance evenings is depicted in a painting by Ренуар.
Today, the old windmill is included in the list of architectural monuments and is protected by the state, but next to it operates the restaurant Мулен де ла Галетт, decorated with another windmill - Мулен Раде.
