…..they have all been laid to rest in the Cimetiere du Père Lachaise in Paris – the world’s most visited cemetery.
Housing 70,000 tombs within its 44 hectares, amongst the 1,000,000 or so people who are buried here you will find a host of notable names. So if you’re looking for a break from the usual monuments and museums, it is worth venturing to this serene spot in Paris’ 20th arrondissement to check out this attraction with a difference.
The criteria for burial in this cemetery is not French nationality, but simply residency in Paris – hence the international mix of famous folk interred here. You can pick up a free plan from the Conservation Office (essential if you intend to find the notable tombs), located within the cemetery and accessed via the entries on the southern edge. The official website also offers a virtual tour, and the capacity to search for particular tombs from an alphabetical list.
Initially, I was a little deterred at the somewhat macabre thought of roaming through a cemetery, and taking photos of the tombs and graves. But it doesn’t seem a strange thing to do once here, and exploring this site is akin to a garden with a “difference” – with its signposted “avenues”, fountains and gardens amongst the tombs.
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In alphabetical order, here is a brief summary of some of the most visited and well-known tombs that I selected from the long list to seek out:
- Georges Bizet (Division 68): French composer; his most well-known work being the opera “Carmen”.
- Frédéric Chopin (Division 11): Polish composer and virtuoso pianist, he is widely considered one of the greatest composers of the Romantic period.
- Marcel Marceau (Division 21): Recently departed in 2007, this famous French actor and mime artist has been laid to rest here.
- Jim Morrison (Division 6): James “Jim” Douglas Morrison was best known as being the lead singer of “The Doors”, and died at the age of 27 in Paris. He has been rated #47 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list “The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. His tomb has been vandalised multiple times, so is now a simple grave with a stone bearing the Greek inscription that translates as “against his own Daemon” – usually interpreted as “true to his own spirit”. A nearby tomb contains graffiti from the many fans who have paid homage to this site.
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- Édith Piaf (Division 97): The famous French singer whose repertoire includes “La Vie en Rose” and “Non, je ne regrette rien”.
- Oscar Wilde (Division 89): The Irish playwright and humorist, whose final play was “The Importance of Being Earnest”. In 2011, his tomb was cleaned of lipstick marks from many admirers who had visited the site. Now a glass barrier protects the tomb, although his fans obviously remain undeterred – I did note several lipstick prints on the glass! According to Lonely Planet Paris, Wilde apparently stated on his deathbed: “My wallpaper and I are fighting a dual to the death – one of us has got to go”. I believe Oscar won the dual. (Visit my Quotes Page for a couple of my favourite musings from Oscar).
Quirkiest tomb: This honour would have to go to the tomb of Monsieur Victor Noir (pseudonym of the journalist Yvan Salaman). In 1870, at the age of 22, he was shot and killed by the great-nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte during a scuffle whilst on a journalistic mission. The death created quite a stir at the time, with widespread protests and unrest that threatened to topple the reign of Napoleon III. After initially being laid to rest in his home town, some 20 years later Noir’s legend was rekindled, and his remains were subsequently transferred to a tomb in Père Lachaise in Paris.
Public funds were raised to create a bronze effigy that lies flat on the top of his tomb, hat by his side – as if just shot…..although apparently the physical likeness is not particularly accurate. But what makes this tomb most notable is the worn section of his trousers: legend states that a woman who strokes this area will enjoy more amorous relations with her partner, and an increase in fertility – apparently a story created by tour guides of the cemetery back in the 1970’s due to the ample size of the crotch area!
Grave of Monseur Noir, Pere Lachaise cemetary
This association became so popular, that in 2004 a fence was placed around the grave to deter people from, well, getting too close to Mr Noir! However, due to supposed protests from the “female population of Paris”, (although according to Wikipedia, it was led by French TV anchor Peri Cochini), the fence was taken down. So visitors can continue to “polish” his effigy to their hearts’ content – he also regularly receives flowers and letters in his hat!
And in case you’re wondering, I didn’t test out the theory, so won’t be able to provide any first-hand reports on the accuracy of this legend! 😉
The northern part of the cemetery houses more recent tombs, and also contains memorials to victims of the Holocaust in WWII. Here you will also find the Wall of the Federalists/Communards’ Wall (Mur des Fédérés), where 147 members of insurgent forces (“Communards”) who fought a battle for workers’ rights against the Government in 1871 were subsequently lined up and shot when captured.
It’s easy to spend several hours at the cemetery, depending on how many tombs you wish to visit. Metro stops Gambetta, Père Lachaise, or Philippe-Auguste will deliver you near one of the five entrances.
Worthy detour – For Paris views
If you have time whilst in the general area, wander north of the cemetery to Parc de Belleville, a pleasant green space that offers great views over Paris’ skyline from its elevated location. If you are coming here directly by train, jump off the metro at Pyrenees and walk down nearby Rue Piat to greet the park from its highest point. It is also one of the gardens in Paris that offers free public wi-fi – but do glance up from your smartphone to enjoy the views!
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