Père Lachaise, in the east of Paris, is one of the most interesting and beautiful cemeteries in the world. It was established in 1804 by Napoleon Bonaparte, and grew to be the largest cemetery in Paris. Under the shade of leafy green trees, arranged down cobblestone walking paths and criss-crossed with speckled sunlight, the tombs are a very peaceful walk in the park and an escape from the noise of the city.
In fact, it’s also the most popular cemetery in the world, with an estimated 3.5 million annual visitors – almost as much as the Empire State Building! The popularity of Père Lachaise probably has something to do with its famous names from France and around the world – Oscar Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and many more are buried here. All up, it’s estimated there are between 300,000 to 1,000,000 people are buried across its 110 acres (44.5 hectares).
Let’s discover some of the notable residents of Père Lachaise.
Peter Abelard and Hélöise
Peter Abelard (1079-1142) and Hélöise (circa 1100-1164) were two iconic lovers in French history. Peter Abelard was a philosopher, poet and musician, and Hélöise d’Argenteuil was a nun, philosopher, and writer. They were colleagues, and later married, leaving behind a well-documented series of love letters. They were buried separately, but in 1817 their remains were moved to a joint tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. They lie under stone effigies, covered by an elaborate Gothic tomb. They are thought to be the oldest remains in Père Lachaise, although their remains have frequently been moved, so this is disputed.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish poet and writer known for his plays and books (most notably The Picture of Dorian Gray). A champion of art, beauty, and decadence, he is also known for his involvement in a public trial for homosexuality. The tomb of Oscar Wilde is a striking monument of a winged figure, designed by sculptor Jacob Epstein, who was inspired by Wilde’s poem ‘The Sphinx’. Wilde’s grave is a popular pilgrimage site for Wilde’s admirers, which was traditionally kissed to leave lipstick marks. However, in 2011, a glass barrier was installed to protect the tomb from further kisses.
Edith Piaf
Edith Piaf (1915-1963) is one of France’s most famous singers. Known for songs still popular today, such as Non, je ne regrette rien, La vie en rose, and Milord, Piaf was famous in France and around the world for her ballads about love and sorrow. She died in 1963 at 47 years old after a battle with liver cancer.
In Père Lachaise, she rests in the family vault of Famille Gassion-Piaf with her father, her daughter Marcelle, and her last husband, Théo Sarapo. Her grave is often decorated with fresh flowers by her fans, especially on the anniversary of her death.
Eugène Delacroix
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) was one of France’s most celebrated Romantic painters. Famed for works such as Jeune orpheline au cimètiere, Scène des massacres de Scio, and La liberté guidant le peuple, Delacroix is renowned for his user of colour, expressive brush strokes, and dramatic representation of modern historical subjects. He died in 1863 at the age of 65 from tuberculosis.
The grave of Delacroix is located in Division 49 of the cemetery. It is shaped as an elegant casket-shaped stone, raised on a plinth and protected by a small fence.
Victor Noir
Victor Noir (1848-1870) was a young French journalist who worked for the newspaper La Marseillaise. He was shot and killed at age 22, after losing a pistol duel against the Emperor’s cousin Prince Pierre Bonaparte over a political dispute. His death sparked public outrage and protests against the imperial regime.
His grave features a bronze statue of him lying on his back, with his hat fallen and his coat open. In death, he has become an unlikely fertility symbol, as visitors come to rub the bulge in his trousers of the statue. Thought to be a fun trick to boost fertility, many people visit his grave to rub his crotch and lips, and leave flowers in his hat.
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer and pianist of the Romantic period. Regarded as one of history’s greatest virtuoso pianists, he lived in Paris from age 21. Performing only rarely, he sold his compositions and taught piano to make a living. He died of complications of tuberculosis in 1849 in Paris. Chopin’s tomb in Père Lachaise is adorned with a statue of a weeping muse and a broken lyre. His heart, however, was removed and sent to Warsaw, where it was placed in an urn and sealed in a pillar of the Holy Cross Church.
Antoine-Augustine Parmentier
Antoine-Augustine Parmentier (1737-1813) was a French agronomist who is credited for popularising the potato in France in the 18th century. When the potato arrived from the new world, the French people were suspicious that they were poisonous. He organised experiments, dinners, and publicity stunts to spread the word. Parmentier’s tomb in Père Lachaise is often decorated with potatoes by his admirers.
Tignous
Bernard Jean-Charles Verlhac (1957-2015), who goes by the pen name Tignous, was a cartoonist for the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. He was killed in the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting, and was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery. His black stone gravestone is frequently decorated with flowers.
Jim Morrison
One of the most famous international graves in Père Lachaise is that of American rock star Jim Morrison. The Doors frontman died in 1971 under unclear circumstances. The 27-year old is listed as having died from heart failure, though no autopsy was ever conducted.
Morrison’s gravestone is the most visited site in Père Lachaise, and probably the most graffitied. It originally had a headstone bust, but after years of vandalism, it was eventually stolen in 1988. Today, it is partially blocked by other gravestones and fenced off to stop graffiti.
Moliére
Molière (1622-1673), whose real name was Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, was an influential French playwright and actor, considered one of France’s greatest writers. He died from pulmonary tuberculosis soon after performing a hypochondriac character in one of his own comedies. His audience believed his coughing fit was all part of his performance.
Initially buried secretly at night in a chapel cemetery (because the church didn’t approve of his profession), he was exhumed and buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in 1817. There, he sits beside the tomb of another French writer, Jean de La Fontaine, both of which are raised stone blocks supported by sturdy stone supports.
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While at first, visiting a cemetery as a tourist activity might seem morbid or disrespectful, Père Lachaise is actually a beautiful and serene window into Parisian history. Over the centuries, many important and notable people have been laid to rest at Père Lachaise, and visiting their tombs and graves in the leafy setting under the shade of the trees is a great way to celebrate their achievements and stories.
StickyMangoRice 