Travel Post #8: Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France. It is also accredited as the world's most visited cemetery with thousands of visitors annually strolling around the graves of those who have enhanced French life over the past 200 years.
Here is an interesting fact: "At the time of its opening, the cemetery was considered to be situated too far from the city and attracted few funerals. Consequently, the administrators devised a marketing strategy and in 1804 with great fanfare organised the transfer of the remains of La Fontaine and Molière. Then, in another great spectacle in 1817, the purported remains of Pierre Abélard and Héloïse were also transferred to the cemetery with their monument's canopy made from fragments of the abbey of Nogent-sur-Seine (by tradition, lovers or lovelorn singles leave letters at the crypt in tribute to the couple or in hope of true love)"
When visiting this cemetery allow a couple hours to explore the grounds. Pack a lunch and just get lost...
Here are a few famous sites we witnessed:
- Honore de Balzac- French novelist
- Stiv Bators-ashes sprinkled on the grave of Jim Morrison
- Sarah Bernhardt-actress
- Auguste Comte-father of Positivism
- Clarence Jogn Laughlin-photographer from New Orleans, Louisiana
- Jim Morrison-singer and songwriter with The Doors
- Louis Visconti-designer of the Louvre and Napoleon's Tomb
- Sir Richard Wallace-English art collector and philanthropist
- Richard Wright-American author write Native Son
Check Out Their Website: http://www.pere-lachaise.com/perelachaise.php?lang=en
