Allée des Brouillards, its château and the Casadesus family

The Allée des Brouillards, its château and the Casadesus family of musicians… An inseparable ensemble in this neighborhood of the Montmartre hill.
First, Square Casadesus, an extension of the Allée des Brouillards
Square Casadesus is a public street located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France. It begins at 10, Allée des Brouillards and ends at 10, rue Simon-Dereure. It pays tribute to the Casadesus family.

The members of this family made their mark in the history of music in France. The family was founded by Luis Casadesus (Figueras, March 26, 1850 – Paris, June 19, 1919), a Catalan who emigrated to France and dreamed of becoming a violinist. Son of actress Francesca Casadesus, known as Ramadié, and writer Paul de Kock, he had thirteen children, nine of whom reached adulthood; eight became musicians. From generation to generation, up to the present day, the Casadesus family has showcased its talents in music, as soloists, conductors, military musicians, composers, singers and actors.

In the 1920s, the château was purchased and restored by the violinist Marius Casadesus. Five generations of the Casadesus family then succeeded one another there. Part of rue Simon-Dereure, formerly an extension of rue de l’Abreuvoir, was named “place des Quatre-Frères-Casadesus” (Francis, Henri, Robert-Guillaume and Marcel) in 1973, before being renamed “Place Casadesus” in 1995.
The Château des Brouillards and the artists of the 19th century Aside from the legend that Saint Denis, the bishop, carried his head in his hands to wash it at the fountain once located on the site now occupied by square Suzanne-Buisson—a supposed event dating back to the 3rd century—it was on this very ground that the Château des Brouillards was later built.

It was in 1772 that the history of the Château des Brouillards began. Legrand-Ducamjean, a lawyer at the Paris Parliament, bought the vast 7,000 m² plot at 13, rue des Brouillards, which included vineyards, a farm and a mill known as the “Moulin des Brouillards.” Having fallen into ruins after serving as a grape press a century earlier, he demolished the mill to erect a fashionable folly of the day, complete with its outbuildings. He sold it on the eve of the Revolution, in 1789.

The name “des Brouillards” (of the Mists) likely comes from the watery mists caused by the nearby springs meeting the cool morning air, as well as the two nearby troughs.

In 1850, the outbuildings were demolished to make way for pavilions inhabited by artists Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, Kees Van Dongen, and Amedeo Modigliani. In 1889, Auguste Renoir and his favorite model Aline Charigot (1859–1915), whom he married on April 14, 1890, moved into No. 8, Allée des Brouillards. However, the entrance was via the gate at 13, Rue Girardon.

Their second son, the future filmmaker Jean Renoir (1894–1979), was born there on September 15, 1894, and spent his early years there. He would retain memories of the countryside, of goats grazing on the wild grass of the untamed garden. The land was then a scrubland where homeless Parisians, street performers, counterfeiters, small-time swindlers, and various bohemians and anarchists had built shacks.

In 1878, on the site of the estate’s former dairy, Kirschbaum, a lamp manufacturer, opened the Feuillée de Montmartre ballroom, which enjoyed some success among the bourgeoisie and the artistic milieu, attracting a few celebrities such as Victor Hugo, Léon Gambetta, and Joris-Karl Huysmans. The establishment later became the “Petit Moulin-Rouge” before being sold in 1886.

The Renaissance of the Château des Brouillards

By 1920, the estate lay in ruins when it was purchased by Victor Perrot (1865–1963), who successfully petitioned to alter the route of Avenue Junot to save the domain.

The Allée des Brouillards has served this site since 1929, though the entrance is currently located at 13, rue Girardon. Perrot oversaw the restoration of the château from 1922 to 1926 and had electricity installed there. Due to financial difficulties, he was forced to divide the property, selling half of the estate in 1928 to General Barthélémy Joseph Alexandre Piraud (1880–1958), while retaining the section at No. 13. Soon after, the château was sold to Marius Casadesus and his family.

On April 24, 2001, the property, valued at 11 million francs, failed to find a buyer. In 2002, a Belgian industrialist in the luxury jeans sector acquired the château, carried out major renovations, and resold it in 2012 for €7,750,000. It was put up for sale again in 2022 at an unspecified price, but reportedly exceeding €10 million.
“Brouillards” (Mists), already used in the 12th century
The name “des Brouillards” was already in use by the 12th century to refer to the farm and mill built at the time. The Allée des Brouillards leads to the existing Château des Brouillards. Like its neoclassical pediment, it dates from the 18th century, and, like the château and the mill that preceded it, owes its name to the water vapor rising from the surrounding springs.

The Brouillards alley and château have left their mark on literature thanks to Gérard de Nerval, who stayed in Montmartre from March to November 1841 at the psychiatric clinic of Dr. Blanche (1796–1852). He briefly mentioned the château, describing it as: “A wonderful place of retreat, silent in its moments.”

In the 20th century, the alley continued to welcome other artists, including actor Jean-Pierre Aumont at No. 4. This idyllic haven has preserved the soul of old Montmartre, sheltered from the mass tourism that has engulfed the neighborhood. Other artists have drawn inspiration from the Brouillards alley:

in 1983, Claude Nougaro—who lived nearby—wrote a song about it, later covered by Maurane in 2014, for which he penned the lyrics to a melody by Richard Galliano;
in 1994, Martine Robier published *9, allée des Brouillards* with Éditions Flammarion;
in 2000, Christine Haydar released *Rendez-vous allée des Brouillards* with Jean-Claude Lattès.

The Brouillards alley begins at Place Casadesus (No. 4) and ends at Place Dalida.