Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Although officially titled "Cimetière de l'Est", this world-famous cemetery is usually known after the name of the 17th century priest Pere Francois de La Chaise, the confessor of Louis XIV.
And, because of the hundreds of famous people buried there, it’s one of the most famous tourist attractions in Paris.
The History of Pere Lachaise
In the 18th century, Paris was looking for ways to empty the ageing and unsanitary cemeteries in the centre of the city.
Many bodies were moved out of town, and millions ended up in the catacombs and, in 1804, the creation of the cemetery at Pere Lachaise took many more.
Initially, it lacked appeal for Parisians as it was so far away (there was no metro in 1804), so the city’s rulers made a point of moving some “celebrities” to the cemetery.
So, among the earliest inhabitants were the playwright Moliere and Paris famous lovers Abelard and Heloise.
This tactic paid off and, before too long, Pere Lachaise became the most prestigious burial ground in Paris and many of the city’s luminaries have had their funerals there.
Who Is Buried In The Cemetery?
I should probably start with the four people who draw the most pilgrims:
The grave of Frederic Chopin is arguably the most beautiful in Pere Lachaise, and every day music lovers leave roses in the arms of it’s sculpture.
Oscar Wilde is next on the list of tourist attractions. Although Wilde was originally buried in Bagneux Cemetery, his remains were moved here 9 years later.
Legendary French chanson singer Edith Piaf is also buried here and French music fans come to pay their respects at her grave.
Finally, and most controversially, is Jim Morrison's grave site. A number of graves have been vandalised by his fans and many in Paris want his remains to be moved elsewhere (his grave has a security guard to ensure that his followers don’t damage or write graffiti on his, or any other, tombs).
How To Get To Pere Lachaise
Because of its size (118 acres), there are a number of metro stops near the cemetery.
Station Philippe Auguste (line 2) is right next to the main entrance. Gambetta (line 3) is popular with Oscar Wilde fans as they can start near Wilde’s grave and then go downhill.
My own preference is to get off at the station Pere Lachaise (lines 2 and 3) and go enter via the entrance at the corner of Boulevard de Ménilmontant and Avenue Gambetta.
One of the advantages of using this entrance is that you can buy a map of the cemetery (with the famous graves marked) at either the newspaper kiosk by the metro exit or in the flower shop next to the cemetery’s entrance.
Finally, as well as Pere Lachaise, the cemeteries at Montmartre and Montparnasse both have tombs of many famous Parisians and are well worth a visit.