There are many little spots on the outskirts of the city that offer a country setting and a timeless atmosphere. These days, there aren’t many of them, but they bear witness to the past, when the villages on the outskirts of the capital were not yet annexed. The picturesque, verdant Villa Santos-Dumont is one of these nuggets, whose secret is still closely guarded by the lucky residents, just like Cité Durmar or rue des Thermopyles. We invite you to discover it.
Villa Santos-Dumont: a haven of peace in south-west Paris
Flat calm, overgrown cobblestones and timeless charm: this is the quintessential Parisian hidden street. Untouched by tourists, the 15th arrondissement also boasts a number of pleasant, intimate little alleys. Nestled just behind the street of the same name, the Villa Santos Dumont is right in the heart of the Georges Brassens district, and offers a fine reward to those who venture there by chance.
Typically, it’s in this type of thoroughfare that you can immerse yourself in the area’s working-class and artistic past. As for the Villa Santos-Dumont, Fernand Léger, Ossip Zadkine and Guglielmo Gatti all set their sights on this little haven of peace in south-western Paris. Today, Norman mansions, workshop houses and modern lofts can be found on either side of the cobblestones. Originally intended for more modest populations, this urban paradise is now being snapped up at prices beyond comprehension.
We secretly envy the handful of residents who stay here, who take care to pamper their place of residence on a daily basis. In this sense, the alley’s superb cachet is also due to the lush vegetation found here. On the walls, in the planters and in the residents’ flowerpots, greenery is omnipresent and pleasantly invasive. In fact, it intertwines with the colorful gates to create a totally exotic setting, in complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area.
Like the Cité Durmar, the Villa Santos-Dumont is one of those unsuspected Parisian places that we discover by chance during a stroll, or that we jealously guard in our address book.
Villa Santos-Dumont – 75015
Read also: Parc Georges Brassens: one of Paris’s little-known treasures