Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris, and one of the most visited in the world. And with good reason: it's known as the final resting place of numerous celebrities, including Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Frédéric Chopin and Oscar Wilde, and many visitors come here to pay their respects. But Père Lachaise is also a place steeped in mystery, with its legends and fascinating history. We reveal 3 unusual anecdotes about it!
It's hard to believe today, when you see this necropolis where over a million people have been buried. And yet, in its early days, the Père Lachaise cemetery was not nearly so popular. In its first year, 1804, it received just 13 burials. 11 years later, it counted just 2,000 graves. Parisians were reluctant to bury their loved ones in this out-of-the-way cemetery, located in a "popular" area.
It was an unusual marketing strategy that changed all that. The Prefect of Paris decided to transfer the remains of famous personalities to the cemetery: Molière, Jean de La Fontaine andHéloïse et Abélard. In 15 years, the Père Lachaise cemetery grew from 2,000 to 33,000 tombs, and was expanded to its current size.
Héloïse and Abélard are the oldest residents of the Père Lachaise cemetery. The transfer of their remains helped to make the cemetery popular with Parisians, and their tomb is now listed as a historic monument. But who are they? Why are they so fascinating? Discover the story of the so-called "star-crossed lovers of Paris":
Heloise & Abelard, Père Lachaise's oldest residents: the story of Paris's Romeo & Juliet
Do you know the legend of Heloise and Abelard? This mythical couple from medieval Paris has left its mark on people throughout the centuries. Nicknamed the "star-crossed lovers", their story continues to fascinate Parisian enthusiasts, who pay their respects at Père Lachaise, where they are the oldest residents. [Read more]
If you've ever ventured down to the 44th division, perhaps you've spotted a mysterious dolmen surrounded by flowers? This is one of the most unusual tombs in the Père Lachaise cemetery: that ofAllan Kardec. When you put it like that, the name may not sound familiar. Yet Allan Kardec was the father of spiritualism, and his Book of Spirits is its founding work.
If Jim Morrison's grave is the most visited in the Père Lachaise cemetery,Allan Kardec 's is the most flowered. Legend has it that if you touch the back of his bust, or the slab behind it, and make a wish, it will come true. The flowers surrounding the dolmen are said to be a thank-you from those whose wish was granted. The belief is so widespread that a note is now posted on the back of the stone on which some people make their wish, to dissuade the superstitious from feeding this urban legend.
Location
Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
75020 Paris 20
Heloise & Abelard, Père Lachaise's oldest residents: the story of Paris's Romeo & Juliet
