Paris by the Numbers – 20th

This is the last installement in my Paris by the Numbers series; it’s been wonderful to look back on our adventures in Paris over the years. We’ve enjoyed this iconic city on multiple occasions with family and friends, and will treasure the memories we’ve made there. We feel very fortunate to have had this amazing opportunity.

So, on we go to the 20th arrondissement! Located on the right bank of the River Seine, the 20th is the last of the numbered neighborhoods in Paris and was incorporated into the city in 1860. There are some lovely sites in this neighborhood, but what drew us here was the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery. Considered to be the most famous and most visited cemetery in the world, it draws 3 million visitors per year. Luckily for us, it was quite empty when we visited on a rainy, weekday last October.

The cemetery covers 110 acres (44.5 hectares) and many famous people are buried here, including Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein and the famous French singer, Edith Piaf. The exact number of people buried here ranges dramatically, by hundreds of thousands. If you want more information, click here for an in depth history of the cemetery.

Although the area wasn’t established as a municipal cemetery until 1804, the oldest identifiable bones here belong to Abelard and Héloïse and date to the mid 12th century. Due to overcrowding in other cemeteries in the city, many reburials occurred here.

The cemetery was named for French Jesuit Priest, Père Lachaise, aka Père François de la Chaise, who served as a private priest to Louis XIV. He lived in a house on the property in the mid 1600s.

When we first arrived we were greeted warmly by a cemetery employee and given a map of the area. There were several graves in particular we wanted to see, little did we know that many are quite difficult to locate. As we slowly wandered through the tangle and piles of grave sites, we noticed multiple generations buried in their family tombs, ranging over several hundred years.

These family burial tombs are quite expensive running about $8,000 per 10 square feet (1 square meter). It’s amazing that family legacies can endure so many years.

We also noticed many tombs and graves in need of repair.

As I mentioned, it was quite challenging looking for specific grave sites as they seem to have been squeezed into any available area, making navigating quite difficult at times. Particularly with the wet and slippery leaves on the ground. But we managed to find a few that were on our list.

Jim Morrison, lead singer for the Doors is buried here. He died in Paris at the young age of 28 of either an overdose of heroin or a heart attack. An autopsy was not completed, so we’ll never know for sure.

The famous pianist and composer Chopin is also buried here, all but his heart. It was his dying wish that his heart be taken back to his beloved Poland and buried in a local church. His sister agreed with his wish, and smuggled his heart out of France. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 39.

We tried to find grave sites of Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf, but were unsuccessful due to the wet leaves and haphazard nature of the graves. However, it is a beautiful location and a tranquil place to wander. Seeing the detailed sepulchers, poignant memorials and family tombs was quite sobering. The various types of architectural styles were quite interesting; from Medieval Gothic to Art Nouveau, you’ll see a wide variety.

We found the cemetery to be quite interesting, and since it was close to Halloween, a little spooky at times too. Entry is free and if you visit, be sure to allow at least several hours. Tours are available as well, but need to be booked in advance.

Okay, that’s it, all twenty arrondissements; whew! This has been a fun series; I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

As always, I would love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment if you like. If you’re curious about our current travels, check out theTravelsketcher’s recent posts.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia