A heroic Saint-Bernard, a secret hidden in plain sight and a grave scattered in métro tickets - there's loads to discover in the cemeteries beyond Père Lachaise.
Nice post! Another cemetery you could feature someday is in Picpus, the small private cemetery (I think you have to pay a euro or two) which is open at odd times for a few hours. It’s of interest especially to Americans because the Marquis de Lafayette is buried here, along with his wife. Apparently he is buried in American soil, casks of earth having been shipped over from the States.
Also, the cemetery is only for people who were victims of the guillotine during the French Revolution. Many of Lafayette’s wife’s family were executed during the Reign of Terror. Among the victims are the nuns of a nearby convent who were executed, one by one, in the last days of the Revolution.
I was going to add this one as one of my favorite Paris cemeteries. So much history there. Descendents of the guillotine victims are buried there, and I usually encounter some current day family member cleaning a grave. So far, everyone I've encountered has been happy to spend a few minutes telling me of their family history.
The Passy Cemetery in the 16th, near Trocadero. Walled, tranquil, with the Eiffel Tower always a presence. One, among the many, striking gravestone: for a woman who died in the crash of the Concorde airliner.
Cemeteries Passey is just behind the Trocadero Plaza across from Tour Eiffel. Very easy to visit and quite lovely. A nice quiet break from the crowds with interesting monuments. Napoleon's major domo is buried here - also several French aviation heroes and industrialists from the early 20th century.
Nice post! Another cemetery you could feature someday is in Picpus, the small private cemetery (I think you have to pay a euro or two) which is open at odd times for a few hours. It’s of interest especially to Americans because the Marquis de Lafayette is buried here, along with his wife. Apparently he is buried in American soil, casks of earth having been shipped over from the States.
Also, the cemetery is only for people who were victims of the guillotine during the French Revolution. Many of Lafayette’s wife’s family were executed during the Reign of Terror. Among the victims are the nuns of a nearby convent who were executed, one by one, in the last days of the Revolution.
I was going to add this one as one of my favorite Paris cemeteries. So much history there. Descendents of the guillotine victims are buried there, and I usually encounter some current day family member cleaning a grave. So far, everyone I've encountered has been happy to spend a few minutes telling me of their family history.
The Passy Cemetery in the 16th, near Trocadero. Walled, tranquil, with the Eiffel Tower always a presence. One, among the many, striking gravestone: for a woman who died in the crash of the Concorde airliner.
Cemeteries Passey is just behind the Trocadero Plaza across from Tour Eiffel. Very easy to visit and quite lovely. A nice quiet break from the crowds with interesting monuments. Napoleon's major domo is buried here - also several French aviation heroes and industrialists from the early 20th century.