On the very first full day of my stay in Paris, I went not just anywhere, but straight to the cemetery. No, I was fine. The fact is that the Père Lachaise cemetery is one of the most stunning attractions French capital. In addition, this is one of the most famous cemeteries in the whole world, on the territory of which hundreds of historical figures are buried: politicians, military men, scientists, writers, singers, artists and many, many others.
Buried here a large number of people who in one way or another left their mark on the history of Russia, for example: Nestor Makhno and Isadora Duncan. However, I did not set myself the task of finding the graves and crypts of all the great people of the past who found their final refuge here. For such purposes, there are probably special excursions. I came here to wander along the narrow paths between mournful Gothic buildings and feel the atmosphere of the place.
This is a real city within a city. Each of them is beautiful in its own way, but only one is for the living, and the other is for the dead.
The Père Lachaise cemetery occupies a huge area for Paris - as much as 48 hectares. True, it is not located in the center, but in the considered “disadvantaged” 20th district. Why in quotes? Yes, because throughout my entire walk I never saw a single sign of this very problem. Apparently, this is another tourist horror story, designed for frightened women.
The cemetery itself, despite its apparent antiquity, was founded only at the very beginning of the 19th century. Up to the second half of the so-called " Late Middle Ages“In this place there were dwellings of the lowest strata of the population. Crime reigned here and epidemics began. Everything changed when one rich merchant built himself a huge mansion on the site of the huts. Subsequently, both the mansion and the surrounding territory became the property of the Jesuit order. However, after some time, the monks encountered financial difficulties, the lands were confiscated and sold at auction. The new owner razed all the previously existing buildings to the ground and laid out an English garden on this site.
At the beginning of the 19th century, city authorities decided to buy the park and establish a cemetery in its place. Since at that time it was not a very attractive outskirts, the vast majority of the townspeople had no desire to end up here after death. In order to spur the interest of Parisians in the new cemetery, the burials of Moliere, La Fontaine and Pierre Abelard were moved to its territory. This had a result: the Père Lachaise cemetery began to attract more and more people who wanted to pay their last respects to their loved ones, and gradually turned into what we have to this day - one of the main attractions of the capital of France.
More than 1 million people are currently buried here.
The Père Lachaise cemetery is separated from the outside world by huge walls several meters high and an equally majestic gate. 
It is very beautiful in here! 
Many times I have encountered the fact that people react absolutely inadequately to the fact that someone can happily walk through a cemetery. Yes, the overwhelming majority of post-Soviet burial sites are absolutely not conducive to making people want to walk on their territory. Père Lachaise is a completely different story: an architecture lover will find here a large number of stunning crypts, a history lover – many famous names, a lover of silence – peace and solitude, a nature lover – a large park among residential areas. After all, I have never met people who condemn trips to Egyptian pyramids- and, after all, these are also cemeteries. 
What really surprised me was the immediate proximity of ordinary panel high-rise buildings, very close to the cemetery territory. I really wouldn't want to live there. 
Monument to the Dead. 
Unfortunately, not all burials are in satisfactory condition. I didn’t look into the hole under the gravestone. 
Some crypts can easily be compared to chapels or even small village churches. 
A real densely populated city. 
Unfortunately, the following photos will be of relatively low quality. This was the price to pay for my desire to completely immerse myself in the atmosphere of the old cemetery: I went there at the end of the day, literally just before sunset. For what is the point of visiting such places during the day in bright sunlight? In general, by the end of the walk, even I myself could hardly distinguish anything on both sides of the road, not to mention the camera. But I don’t regret it at all and advise you to come to Père Lachaise only at the end of the day. The main thing is to remember that the cemetery is not open 24 hours a day. 
Suddenly, against the background of low Gothic crypts, something truly huge grew. At first I thought it was a crematorium (I was just looking for it at that moment), but the signs pointed to something else... 
It turned out that this was also a crypt in which the French diplomat Felix de Beaujour was buried. Apparently, Felix was an exceptional person, since such an outstanding tomb was built for him. 
Someone of a lower rank set out on his final journey with his beloved dog. 
By the way, did I already mention that Père Lachaise is a whole city? Here, each path is a separate street with its own name and incredibly beautiful signs. 
Eventually, I found the crematorium. Directly in front of him was a descent into underground rooms, from where an incomprehensible noise was heard and the light was on. The doors were open. As soon as I began to descend towards the alluring light, a black cemetery caretaker emerged from the darkness from behind and harshly declared that I was not allowed to go there. So it remained a mystery to me what was happening in these underground rooms.
A very unpleasant smell was spreading near the crematorium. They probably burned the bodies. 
Galleries spread out around the crematorium in a large quadrangle. This is a columbarium - walls with small compartments in which the ashes of the dead are buried. 
Fleeing from the smell that was becoming unbearable, I hurried to the exit. There was already standing around pitch darkness– there are no hints of lanterns in the cemetery. And it was only by miracle that I was able to spot a new specimen for my collection of manhole covers. 
To summarize: the Père Lachaise cemetery is one of the most unusual and interesting attractions in Paris. I recommend visiting it to everyone who stays in the French capital for at least one day - all other attractions can wait.
How to get there:
There are two metro stations in the immediate vicinity of the main entrance: Père Lachaise (lines 2 and 3) and Philippe Auguste (line 2).
Among the many necropolises around the world, Père Lachaise is distinguished by its unusual atmosphere and original flavor. Situated on 48 hectares of land in the center of Paris, it has long been transformed from a final resting place into a park area. Mothers with strollers often walk here, young people have picnics, and older people come to relax and collect their thoughts.
The churchyard is divided into quarters by many streets, which in many ways resembles an ordinary provincial town. Only the inhabitants live in majestic crypts, luxurious tombs, under modest gravestones, or coexist in multi-story columbariums.
History of creation
Initially, on the territory of the famous cemetery there was a Jesuit monastery headed by Francois de La Chaise. This religious figure was a confessor of the "Sun King" Louis XIV and actively took advantage of his position, constantly annexing nearby land plots to the order’s possessions. With the death of the patron, the monastery fell into decay. The property began to be sold at auction. Elegant gazebos and artificially built grottoes with waterfalls were dismantled. Instead of a monastery, a small chapel was erected, and poor people settled in the area.
The empty lands were bought by the capital's architect Nicola Frosho and organized the Eastern Cemetery on them. The area was divided into quarters and given the appearance of English gardens. Emperor Napoleon I himself was present at the opening of the new Parisian churchyard on May 21, 1804. Previously, burials were carried out exclusively on church lands, so the necropolis located outside the city was not a success at first.
To attract buyers of burial plots, the city administration decided to rebury the ashes of famous personalities. The remains of Pierre Abelard and his beloved Heloise were among the first to migrate to a new place. The monk and philosopher's strong feelings for his student were so strong that he took the girl to Brittany, secretly married her and she bore him a son. But Eloise’s relatives found the couple, castrated the poet using cruel methods, and forced the young mother to take monastic vows.
The romantic flair around the common tomb of the two lovers interested Parisians. Next in line were the fabulist La Fontaine and the comedian Moliere. But the real glory of Père Lachaise, as the people continued to call this area, was created by the author of “Père Goriot.” Honore de Balzac moved the final scene of his great work to this cemetery.
The writer himself found his final rest here in 1850 (item 48), finally fulfilling his lifelong dream and marrying Evelina Ganskaya. 30 years later, when the charming Pole and subject of the Russian Empire died, the couple were reunited again in one gravestone.
The popularization of the “Abode of the Dead” led to an increase in burials in the churchyard: by 1824 there were over 33 thousand. Today, the number of people buried here has long exceeded a million. And this is provided that burial in the cemetery is allowed only to Parisians or those who died suddenly in the capital of France.
Graves of famous people
At least 2 million tourists visit Père Lachaise every year. Everyone comes here to honor the memory of various figures of science, culture and art. There are no signs at the cemetery, since the territory is very huge and has many branched streets and dead ends. To find the desired crypt or tomb, use a detailed diagram. If you strictly follow the instructions and follow the boundaries of the blocks, then finding the desired area will be quite easy.
Frederic Chopin (study 11) . On his grave one can see a muse mourning an irrevocable loss. Poles often bring fresh flowers here to honor the memory of the great composer, who lived only 39 years. The well-known “Funeral March” is still played in many cemeteries around the world.
James Mayer Rothschild . The story of the great banker and “great exile” A.I. is noteworthy. Herzen. When Rothschild demanded from K.V. Nesselrode, the Minister of Foreign Affairs refused to pay for the tickets from the Moscow treasury guards issued to the mother of the disgraced writer, arguing that Herzen’s property was seized. Then the banker warned that he would tell about the financial insolvency of Nicholas I. The required amount was paid, and the writer was able to publish his works abroad with this money.
Jean Louis André Theodore Gericault . This French painter is among those who died at an early age. At the age of 33, he fell unsuccessfully from a horse and died. The famous painting “The Raft of Medusa,” dedicated to the tragic fate of the passengers of the frigate of the same name, is depicted in bas-relief on a grave pedestal. The artist himself is located on top, as if finishing his picture. It is noteworthy that before the first exhibition, when “The Raft” was already in the hall of the Italian Theater, Gericault decided to add two new figures to the picture and lengthen the size of the raft. Right in the foyer he realized his idea.
Eugene Delacroix (study 49) . The outstanding painter is known for “Liberty Leading the People” and for the frescoes for the Church of Saint-Sulpice. In the Louvre, an entire room is dedicated to his paintings. Delacroix also acted as a model for his friend Theodore Géricault when writing The Raft of the Medusa. The artist died quietly and unnoticed by others, in his home, without surviving a relapse of his throat disease.
Gioachino Antonio Rossini . The Italian reformer of opera music used to say: “Give me a laundry bill and I’ll set it to music.” The “Divine Maestro” considered Paris one of the three cities that had a great influence on his work. He died in the village of Pasia, near the capital of France. And although the real remains of the composer are in Italy, in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, the funeral itself took place in the Père Lachaise cemetery. The body was embalmed, placed in a niche, and then transported to its final burial site. Rossini's grave can be seen on the main street of the churchyard.
Alfred de Musset . Poet and playwright, known for his novel “Confession of a Son of the Century,” dedicated to George Sand. Also in medicine there is the term “Musset’s symptom” - rhythmic shaking of the head in time with the pulse. This rare heart disease arose in the writer as a result of complications from syphilitic aortitis.
Edith Piaf (study 97) . Small, fragile Edith Giovanna Gassion charmed the Parisian public with her voice. During her life, she suffered 4 car accidents, had problems with drugs due to incessant body pain, went to the operating table seven times and experienced a hepatic coma three times. The vocal sparrow in recordings still impresses with its manner of performance. Her death was deeply felt by all of France.
Few people know that the singer had a daughter, Marcel, who died at the age of two from tuberculous meningitis. The child's body rests in the same grave as his mother.
Georges Seurat . The founder of pointillism (dot painting) anticipated the electronic decomposition of color, which formed the basis for the operation of a raster display. He worked both in color and in black and white. Died from a form of influenza. Following him, his son went to another world two weeks later.
Vincenzo Bellini . The owner of the unique bel canto lived to be 34 years old and died due to an intestinal disease. He was initially buried in the Eastern Cemetery of Paris by right of death, but in 1876 the remains of the Italian composer were transferred to his native island of Sicily and placed in cathedral Saint Agatha.
Georges Rodenbach . The Belgian symbolist writer was considered a master of refined style. He was widely translated into European languages and had a significant influence on other poets. He spent his adult life in Paris and died here from acute inflammation of appendicitis. In his small homeland, the authorities refused to erect a monument, since Rodenbach wrote mainly in French, and in the province of Bruges they speak Flemish (Dutch).
Arman . The artist's real name is Armand Pierre Fernandez. Founder of the new realism movement in art. For a long time he experimented with installations made from parts of objects, deliberately exploding them with dynamite or cutting them. After a break from painting, he created illustrations for the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud and portraits of great composers created from musical instruments. A dilapidated violin was placed on the grave. Some see in it a fragment of Arman’s sculpture “The Power of Music,” others associate it with an incident that occurred in China, when the artist broke a stringed instrument in order to create a panel from its fragments.
Sarah Bernhardt (study 44) . At the beginning of the twentieth century, she was considered “the most famous actress in history.” She toured Europe and America. She ended her theatrical career at the age of 77, and a year later she died in Paris from uremia and kidney failure.
Adolphe Thiers (study 55) . The man who gave the order to execute the defenders of the Paris Commune.
Yves Montand . The legendary French actor was injured on the set of the film IP-5. Due to the negligent negligence of the director, when the takes of the dive into the ice lake the famous chansonnier was not offered any warm clothes, blankets, or warming drinks. The result was severe pneumonia. The day after finishing work on the film, the singer died in the Senlis hospital from a heart attack caused by extensive pneumonia. Thus, he repeated the fate of his main character.
In the same grave with Yves Montand lies his wife Simone Signoret, who died six years earlier.
Marcel Proust (study 85) . Novelist, essayist, author of the epic In Search of Lost Time and winner of the Prix Goncourt. He was known for his homosexual tendencies and even sponsored a male brothel during the First World War. From the age of 9 he suffered from asthma. In the rainy autumn of 1922, he fell ill with bronchitis and soon died of pneumonia. The grave is crowned with a black marble slab with a modest inscription about the years of the writer’s life and death.
Jean Pezon (study 86) . French tiger tamer. Depicted riding a striped predator that ate him.
Theodore Sivel and Joseph Croce-Spinelli (study 71) . The first balloonists to reach the “death zone.” They died of suffocation after rising to a height of 8.6 km. They were buried in the same grave.
Jacques-Louis David (study 56) . A major representative of neoclassicism, he enjoyed the patronage of Napoleon Bonaparte. During his life he painted many paintings glorifying the revolution. After the Battle of Waterloo he was forced to leave for Switzerland and then Belgium. He was initially buried in the Brussels cemetery of Saint-Josse-ten-Node. Then, almost 60 years later, he was reburied in Evere. In the Père Lachaise cemetery, under the tombstone is his heart.
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (study 96) . Italian by birth, he lived the last 15 years of his life in Paris. His canvases are made in the genre of expressionism. Naked bodies attract attention primarily not with their nakedness, but with the vividness of their colors. He died at the age of 39 from tuberculous meningitis. The funeral was large, with the participation of many famous artists, poets and entertainers of the time. You will find the grave in the Jewish area. It is crowned with a modest tombstone. Nearby lies his beloved Jeanne Hebuterne, who committed suicide in the 9th month of pregnancy the day after the artist’s death. Her remains were first buried in another cemetery and only in 1930 they were reburied in Père Lachaise. The child survived and was raised in the family of his sister Zhanna.
Antoine Auguste Permentier . At one time, this scientist fed the hungry French people with potatoes and made a significant contribution to the winemaking process. Louis XIV contributed greatly to the popularization of the new vegetable and even wore a purple flower in his buttonhole. In memory of such innovation, a huge basket of potato tubers and an analogue of a moonshine still adorn his grave.
Scandalous burials
A separate factor increasing the popularity of the Parisian churchyard was the legendary burials located on its territory. Covered with rumors, shocking historical details or the shocking personality of the deceased, they attract many tourists. There are always a lot of visitors to such tombstones, excursions are organized to them, and acts of vandalism are not uncommon here.
Jim Morrison . This grave is rightfully considered the most scandalous in the Père Lachaise cemetery. The death of the lyricist and vocalist itself is ambiguous. Although the press officially reported cardiac arrest, there are versions of a heroin overdose, suicide, and even the machinations of the FBI. Only his friend Pamela knew about the real reasons, but she died from drugs three years later without telling anyone about them.
Despite the fact that half a century has passed since the death of the leader of The Doors, fans still come to honor the memory of the lead singer. The epitaph on the tombstone, “Defeat the demon within you,” has become a kind of credo for many admirers. There is always a crowd of people near the tombstone, songs are sung, and fresh flowers lie. Often, even at night, the security of the necropolis catches people trying to climb over the fence and express their emotional attachment to the singer’s work.
It would seem that such popularity should please, but Parisians have more than once signed a petition to move the burial to a country cemetery. This is due to constant noise, neighboring monuments covered with quotes from songs, abandoned syringes, bottles and other rubbish. The cemetery administration is unable to satisfy the townspeople, because rent burial fees are paid regularly and in a fairly large amount.
Victor Noir . A French journalist was shot dead by Crown Prince Pierre Bonaparte on the eve of his wedding. But it was not because of a quarrel with the future monarch, but because of his love affairs that the young man became famous. His grave attracts many women and men with various sexual disorders. The former hope for a cure for infertility and a long-awaited meeting with their loved one, the latter hope for gaining masculine strength. According to legends, to do this it is necessary to touch the causal place of the lying bronze sculpture of the journalist. It is not known for certain whether this procedure helps. But the bulge in the pants at the monument had become smooth and polished over many years of pilgrimage.
Oscar Wilde . The writer became famous for his unconventional view of things. He explained his departure to France by the intolerance of the British towards his person and predicted his own imminent death. In Paris, he contracted an ear infection that turned into acute meningitis. On his deathbed, Oscar paid more attention to the wallpaper in hotel room than your health: “It’s either me or this terrible floral wallpaper.”
Wilde died a month before 1901. At first, the outrageous writer was buried in the Bagno cemetery, from where his remains moved to Père Lachaise 10 years later. American sculptor Jacob Epstein made a monument for the grave in the form of a figure of a flying sphinx. It was this mythical character that became the object of veneration for many fans of the playwright’s talent. The white marble stone was constantly covered with kisses and declarations of love written in lipstick. To stop such acts of vandalism, the pedestal was fenced with glass. But this still doesn’t stop the most ardent fans.
There is also an opinion that the transparent fence was installed after the sphinx lost a prominent part of her body. True, evil tongues claim that the lost fragment is in the office of the head of the necropolis: he holds the papers with it.
Crypt of the Demidovs . Located on Acacia Street. Guides tell stories about the ghost of Princess Demidova, who appears exactly at midnight and walks through the cemetery. Among Parisians she is called the Queen of Spades.
Guillaume Apollinaire de Kostrowicki . During his lifetime, the author of erotic prose mystified his birth. Allegedly, he was found abandoned in Rome and only a few months later he found his Polish mother. The untimely death of the founder of modern poetry was followed by a series of unexplained deaths of his friends and loved ones. They say he still appears to his fans in the form of a ghost.
Alan Kardec . Real name: Hippolyte Leon Denizard-Rivaille or Marquis Rival. Founder of spiritualism and researcher of psychic phenomena. At his grave you can still find people charging water or notes with fluids emanating from the tombstone.
In memory of mass graves
In addition to individual graves, in the Eastern Cemetery you can find pedestals that perpetuate the memory of many victims. Under a stone statue, the ashes of revered people do not always actually lie. The very fact that the administration of the necropolis treats with understanding the victims of mass executions and repressions, those who died in war, and participants in demonstrations and revolutions is impressive. Even without knowing where the real remains lie, you can always come to Père Lachaise and honor the dead.
Among the famous memorable places:
Monument to Russian soldiers, participants of the French Resistance.
Wall of the Communards. Moved outside the cemetery to avoid communist rallies.
Memorial to the victims of Nazi concentration camps (item 97).
Also on site 97 you can find monuments to the very people who were responsible for the genocide of World War II. The sculptors were merciless in depicting the torture, acts of violence and degradation of the executioners.
Columbarium
On plot 87 there is a cemetery Crematorium. The building was built in the likeness of the Hagia Sophia from Istanbul. At the top of the building you can see the same minarets and domes as the original. The bodies of many famous personalities were cremated here. Subsequently, the ashes were scattered, placed in a niche in the columbarium, or buried.
Isadora Duncan . Sergei Yesenin's wife and beautiful dancer died an absurd death. The edge of her scarf hit the axle of a moving car, causing her to suffocate. They say that her words before the last trip were: “Farewell friends! I'm going to glory!
Maria Callas . The greatest opera singer of Greek origin. She had a versatile voice that could handle arias of varying complexity. Towards the end of her life she suffered from dermatomyositis, a disease of the vocal cords. This is also associated with a change in her tonality from soprano to mezzo-soprano. She died in Paris before her 54th birthday. The remains were cremated and placed in a niche in the columbarium. After the urn was stolen and returned, the singer's ashes were scattered over the Aegean Sea. Now there is an empty urn in the cell behind the memorial plaque.
Nestor Makhno . The Ukrainian revolutionary and anarchist ended his years in exile. Suffering heavily from wounds received in previous battles, he died in a Paris hospital from bone tuberculosis. The body was cremated and placed in columbarium cell number 6685.
How to get to Père Lachaise Cemetery
The Eastern Churchyard is located in the part of the city of the same name. You can enter its territory from three stations metro:
Philippe Auguste . Directly next to the main entrance to the necropolis.
Pere Lachaise . There is a side entrance within a radius of 500 meters.
Gambetta . The entrance is not far from Oscar Wilde's grave.
The entrance is free. Visiting hours: from 8 am to 6 pm. On winter days, the cemetery gates close half an hour earlier.
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Cemetery of Père Lachaise in Paris ( official name"Eastern Cemetery") is called "the city of the dead" among Parisians.
In its territorial arrangement it is very similar to a city. Throughout the area there are tombs - palaces with skillfully carved patterns and family crypts. It is extremely difficult to get lost in it - over six thousand iron signs will help you find your way from any point. Tourists are attracted by the atmosphere of mystery, but at the same time extraordinary beauty cemeteries. Père Lachaise is a cultural asset for Parisians, with rich cultural and historical significance.
The Pere Lazes cemetery is not just a resting place for the dead. Many people come here to put their thoughts in order, take a break from noisy civilization, or simply enjoy an evening walk through the cemetery park. Parisians spend weekends here, play with children, and conduct educational excursions for teenagers. Tourists pursue completely different goals - they walk throughout the cemetery in search of legendary graves.
Legendary graves of Per Lazes
At the time of its foundation, the cemetery was located outside the city. Initially, many refused to bury the dead there, avoiding this place. To make it profitable, the remains of Molière and La Fontaine were moved to Père Lazes, and closer to 1820, Pierre Abelard and Heloise were reburied (for Parisians, they are a kind of Romeo and Juliet).
After such actions, the place really gained its significance and popularity. Queues for burial formed; people did not want to think about other cemeteries. In just a few years, the number of buried people increased from several dozen to 25 thousand people. Now the cemetery has about 980 thousand graves, including 18 family crypts, 27 monuments of prominent personalities and several architectural buildings. By the way, the townspeople themselves cannot explain their meaning. Only Parisians have the right to be buried in the Père Lazech cemetery.
Who else is buried in the Père Lazeche cemetery in Paris? Many famous poets and authors. For example, Honore de Balzac, Modigliani, Sarah Bernhardt and many others. There are several unmarked graves that carry a number of unanswered questions. The design of the monuments is skillful - every detail has been worked out. Some believe that all the kings of France since the 1820th century have been buried there, others believe that they are “dark” personalities, sorcerers who were forbidden to be burned. All these facts give the cemetery an even greater note of mystery, enigma and peculiar charm.
Legends of the Eastern Cemetery
In addition to the ordinary “fairy tales” told by the townspeople themselves, tourists are attracted by well-established legends about extraordinary cases of healing, thanks to a special ritual, by performing which you can get the desired results.
Most tourists go to the final resting place of French journalist Victor Noir. Men ask for masculine strength, a strong body, a clear mind and a strong spirit, and women - to become happy mothers. The thing is that, according to legend, when his body was taken to the morgue, his genital organ “resurrected”.
The Pere Lazes cemetery can help lovers. To be more precise, the grave of Oscar Wilde will help. The legend says: “whisper your wish, touch the sphinx on the poet’s tombstone with your lips and wait three days - your wish will come true.” Therefore, this tombstone is quite relevant among women. Also, many gay people come to their idol for success in love affairs. Anyone who wants to be happy must come to this grave.
Practical information
Address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France.
Working hours: Visit " City of dead» possible daily, from 8:00 to 18:00.
Entry is absolutely free. Near the entrance there is a souvenir shop where you can buy detailed map with all descriptions, and literature about the history of the cemetery and all the famous personalities buried there.
Any local will tell you how to get there. The cemetery is indicated in any city map, directory and other supporting literature. If you take the metro, you should get off at Philippe Auguste station, which is located in close proximity to the grave of Oscar Wilde.
It’s simply impossible not to visit the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Many will find something interesting here. Photographers - beautiful angles, art fans - the graves of idols, romantics will simply walk along the streets of the necropolis, where sometimes you can even get lost
At first I planned to quickly run through the cemetery, visiting the graves of celebrities, but once behind the fence, I realized that there was no hurry here. The graves of Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison, Parisian legends, Oscar Wilde's tombstone, which many want to kiss. Finally, the burial of the composer Chopin, whose music was the last for many who lie here: he is the author of the Funeral March. And much more. Today is the largest and most beautiful cemetery Paris.
We were unlucky with the weather for shooting, but for a walk to such a place it was just what we needed. It’s cloudy, the wind is blowing between the tombstones, closing the open doors crypts, sometimes it starts to rain. Père Lachaise is always crowded, but apparently the weather scared everyone. All the better
Family crypts. Everyone is different, you won’t find the same ones. At some point a black rook lands on the right crypt, but I don’t have time to take it off, it flies away
"Pere-Lachaise" is translated as "Father Lachaise". The name comes from the priest François de la Chaise, confessor of Louis XIV. Here stood either his house or the monastery he founded. The cemetery appeared a little later - Napoleon ordered the allocation of land for the graves
But the Parisians stubbornly refused to bury their relatives on the then distant outskirts of the city. Who wants to travel far? Then a PR stunt was carried out: the remains of deceased celebrities, including Beaumarchais and Molière, were “planted” here. The move worked great, and now many people are buried here. Crypts are often signed by surname. Moss on the roof adds color and romance
It must be said that the condition of many crypts is not the best. Many are open, the slabs are broken
Garbage is lying around
It smells like a public toilet here
It's sad outside too sometimes
There are broken stained glass windows. Many of the burials are from the century before last, and there is no one to care for them anymore.
Let's first look at the graves of celebrities, then just walk along the streets. The only grave you can't get close to is Jim Morrison's. As you know, the leader of The Doors died in Paris in 1971 under mysterious circumstances. The versions include murder, suicide and overdose. After the singer’s death, fans began to organize drinking parties and orgies at his grave, which is why the burial was surrounded by a fence. True, the fence doesn’t stop everyone
The adjacent crypt was converted into a “Morrison Wall.” Well, what would we do without the famous “Light My Fire” from the debut album of The Doors. Ironically, it also became the last song Jim performed on stage.
Edith Piaf
The music of Frederic Chopin was the last for many people lying here. He is the author of Piano Sonata No. 2, part of which became the Funeral March. The composer himself was buried under it
Oscar Wilde's tombstone with flying sphinx. Parisians love to tell a legend according to which anyone who kisses him will never lose his love. As a result, a pilgrimage began to the grave, and the sarcophagus was covered with a huge layer of lipstick
Further more. Previously, the Sfinsky also had a genital organ. And if the girls kissed the tombstone, then the gays did not hesitate to involve him too. They even talk about sexual intercourse. As a result, the Sfinsky was castrated, and they decided to glaze the headstone itself
Here you can see such a familiar monument to our eyes. In memory of the Russians, participants in the French Resistance during World War II
In general, the Russian trace in the cemetery is noticeable. The grave of some emigrant is crowned with an Orthodox dome, everything around is planted with birch trees
There is moss on many of the tombstones.
The Père Lachaise cemetery is located in the eastern part of Paris and is known locally as the Eastern Cemetery. This is the largest green oasis of the French capital and one of the largest museums of tomb sculpture under open air with an area of about 48 hectares.
Previously, this place was a poor neighborhood, simply teeming with dangerous criminals, cunning crooks and depraved prostitutes. The history of the cemetery dates back to 1430, when a rich merchant built himself a mansion on a hill in this area, which eventually became the property of the monastery.
Subsequently, the land and Charron Hill, on which the cemetery appeared, belonged to the Jesuit order, and the area was named in honor of one of the fathers of this order, Francois de la Chaise, who was the spiritual mentor and confessor of Louis XIV.
The order used the friendship of the king and the monk for selfish purposes, expanding and ennobling its possessions. The monastic garden was decorated with fountains, strange plants and a greenhouse. Over time, it turned into a place of romantic meetings for high society.
When the king died, the order went bankrupt, and the monastic lands were confiscated and sold at auction. Aristocratic gazebos, grottoes and waterfalls were demolished or torn down, and the garden was redesigned in the English style. On the site of the Jesuit monastery, a chapel was built, around which the Père Lachaise cemetery later appeared.
The cemetery was very remote from the then borders of the city and only the local poor were buried there. To increase popularity in the eyes of wealthier citizens, the remains of La Fontaine, Moliere, Pierre Abelard and other famous people were reburied here. This plan was successful and by 1824 Père Lachaise had 33 thousand graves.
Over the next two centuries, prominent figures of culture, science and art who contributed to the history of France were buried here. Currently, more than 1 million people are buried in the cemetery and many rumors and legends revolve around it.
They say that in abandoned ancient crypts there are secret passages; at night, dark cults perform rituals prohibited by law and morality. The crypt of Princess Demidova receives special attention and not only Satanists, but also lovers of extreme sensations strive to get into it. According to legend, the princess leaves the coffin on the longest full moon of the year and celebrates a black mass, in which only devoted servants of the devil can participate.
It is worth noting that the French police have documented several cases of illegal entry into the cemetery at night, and each time the elusive intruders disappeared over a vast territory like ghosts.
With the first rays of the sun, evil forces go into the dark depths of the cemetery and people in need of help begin to reach out to Père Lachaise. The belief about good spirits has become a common truth here. During the day, some tombstone statues cure ailments, energize and solve earthly problems. But in order to feel the inexplicable influence of this place, you need to choose the right patron and sincerely ask him for help.
Some voice their request in words, others leave a note, and others write messages to the afterlife on the gravestone. Nobody knows when these appeared strange traditions and why they work to this day, bringing what they want to the suffering. The mystical glory of Père Lachaise, formed over centuries, will never subside in the ranks of admirers of occult places.
