Père lachaise cemetery in Paris
May 18th, 2009 by apartmentblogger
In the heart of Paris, in the twentieth district, you can find a great oasis of peace and greenery, which has hardly changed since its construction in the early nineteenth century…. Cobbled streets, lined with weeping willows and majestic limes: welcome to the most famous cemetery in the world, beautiful and nostalgic shelter of the graves of famous personalities from the French and the international art world.
Jim Morrison’s grave in 1984 before his bust was stolen in 1988. Paris, France
The largest Parisian cemetery (47 hectares) attracts two million visitors every year, coming to admire the graves of their idols in this maze of a cemetery, or just escaping the incessant noise of the city of lights or its very hot summer days.
The Père lachaise cemetery looks like a romantic little village, with its small alleys, old signposts, its immaculate lawns or its massive monuments: it deserves its nickname of “City of the Dead”!
The cemetery Père lachaise has an incomparable atmosphere; it is a haven of peace with more than 6000 old trees that cast shadows on the moss-covered graves.
Fortunately, you can get yourself a map of the cemetery and of its most famous occupants at the entrance, because it is really easy for one to get lost!
One of the most visited graves is that of the composer Chopin, covered with roses all year round. But the star of the star is without a doubt the grave of the singer of the legendary 60’s band The Doors, Jim Morrison. His grave is permanently guarded by policemen, as fans can not help but steal pieces of his gravestone, while others take acid to behave just like their idol who died of an overdose in Paris in 1971 at the age of 28.
The graffiti that covered his grave have now been cleaned, and the heavy cloud of marijuana smoke that used to hang over it is also long gone. But fans keep on leaving candles, cigarette butts, and other messages on the surrounding graves. The family of the less famous people buried next to Jim Morrisson even filed a complaint to have his remains sent back to America!
Another tomb which is worth a look at is that of the English writer Oscar Wilde, covered with graffiti and lipstick marks. There is a very strange sculpture on top of it, but it was vandalized a few years ago. Many French writers as Molière, La Fontaine, the famous medieval couple Héloise and Abelard and Balzac are buried here.
Among others, we can name Edith Piaf, Sarah Bernard, Marcel Proust, Colette, Maria Callas, Modigliani and the famous lover/seducer Casanova. It is amusing to wander through the paths of the cemetery and look out for the famous people and their graves. Many sculptures and mausoleums are also very beautiful.
The Père lachaise cemetery is open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, Saturdays from 8:30am to 6pm, and Sunday and holidays from 9am to 6pm.
Come and discover a surprising monument, enjoy your stay in the French capital and pay a visit to its greatest artists, rent now apartments in Paris to enjoy an unforgettable stay!
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The cemetary is fascinating an interesting, quite comparable with the Recoleta Cemetary in Buenos Aires, but still very different.