Bloody battle 30 mars 1814 (≈ 1814)
Russian armies set fire to neighbouring villages.
1838
End of Mardi Gras holidays
End of Mardi Gras holidays 1838 (≈ 1838)
Last celebration before ban.
1988
Opening of the park
Opening of the park 1988 (≈ 1988)
Created by Debulois and Viollet.
2008
Renovation of the playground
Renovation of the playground 2008 (≈ 2008)
Re-opening after soil instability.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
François Debulois - Architect
Manufacturer of the park in 1988.
Michel Viollet - Landscape operator ( API cooperative)
Creation of park green spaces.
Origin and history
Belleville Park, also known as the Belleville-Julien-Lacroix Garden, is a 45 000 m2 green space located in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Set on the old Belleville hill, which peaks at 108 meters, it offers a panoramic terrace overlooking the city. This site, once royal estate under the Merovingians, was long dedicated to agriculture, especially to the cultivation of the vine to produce a picket, young and sparkling wine. The hill was also the scene of popular festivals such as Mardi Gras until 1838, marked by excesses and drinking under cover of costumes.
Belleville Hill experienced violent episodes, such as the Battle of March 30, 1814, where the 120,000 Russian soldiers burned down neighbouring villages (Montreuil, La Villette, La Chapelle). In the 19th century, the opening of a gypsum career attracted a seasonal working population, making the neighbourhood unsafe after its closure. A major restructuring in the 20th century transformed the site, leading to the creation of the current park, inaugurated in 1988. Designed by architect François Debulois and landscape architect Michel Viollet, it incorporates elements reminiscent of its history, such as vines of pinot millier vines.
The park is distinguished by a 100-metre waterfall fountain, 1,000 m2 of lawns, and a children's playground, renovated in 2008 after problems of soil instability. Ornate with 1,200 trees and shrubs (chênes, lindens, tulip trees from Virginia, etc.), it is also a film shoot, as for Le Ballon rouge (1956) or Paris (2008) by Cédric Klapisch. Despite its rich heritage, the park suffers from recurrent degradations (tags, out-of-service fountain) and the air house remains closed.
The park's gazebo also houses street art works, continuing an artistic tradition in this popular neighbourhood. Accessible by several streets (Julien-Lacroix, Piat, Jouye-Rouve) and served by the metro stations Pyrénées, Couronnes and Belleville, it forms a green lung between the Buttes-Chaumont Park and the Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
