Introduction
Begin: Métro Père-Lachaise (Line 2 or 3)End: Métro Père-LachaiseTime: At least three hoursIntroductionCimetière du Père-Lachaise is the largest cemetery in Paris and one of the most visited cemeteries in the world—a veritable city of the dead and famous. While some may find a stroll around a cemetery a bit morbid, this walk will be a beautiful and humbling reminder of your own mortality and the universal need to create meaning in both life and death. How do we honor our dead? How do we cope with loss? You will find hundreds of answers to these questions as you explore just a portion of the 70,000 tombs spread across just over 188 acres in this walled-in necropolis.
#1 Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
Start at a bottom side entrance to the cemetery by exiting at the Père-Lachaise station (from Line 2 or 3) onto boulevard de Ménilmontant. Cross boulevard de Ménilmontant, and you will find a small entrance to the cemetery.This métro exit is one of the beautiful art nouveau designs made by Hector Guimard between 1898 and 1904. You will notice that there are divisions and street signs inside Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. (I told you it was like a city, didn’t I?)
#2 Georges Pierre Seurat
If you correctly followed the directions, you will find yourself at the 63rd Division on avenue de l’Ouest. Get ready for some hiking on uneven terrain. Head up the avenue, which will curve to the right. After you cross avenue Circulaire, the name will change to avenue des Peupliers. As you near the next cross street, you will see the tomb of the French post-impressionist artist George-Pierre Seurat (1859–91) on your right.Georges Pierre Seurat is most remembered for his enormous pointillist masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte, which is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago. Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George (1985) brought the painting to life and dramatized the struggles of the young artist. You may also visit Seurat’s painting The Circus at the Musée d’Orsay.
#3 Enrico Cernuschi
Turn right onto chemin d’Ornano. As you near the fork in the road, you will notice the prominent tomb of Enrico Cerniuschi (1821–96) on your right.Enrico Cernuschi was a politician and banker who moved to Paris and donated his collection of Far-Eastern art to found a museum bearing his name.
#4 Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand
A step or two farther down (on the corner) you will see an obelisk with a bronze bust of Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand (1817–91). Adolphe Alphand (first given name was Jean-Charles)was the man responsible for the creation of many parks in Paris during the Second French Empire. You may thank him for the bois de Boulogne, the bois de Vincennes, the parc Montsouris, the parc Monceau, and many others.Note: most bronze pieces in the cemetery have oxidized over time to a gray-green patina known as vedigris; this is formed when the copper alloy in the metal comes in contact with the atmosphere, forming a copper carbonate coating. Therefore, when hunting for bronze, think green (-ish). Ironically, as damaging as this coating may appear, in most cases it actually prevents further damage to the metal. It is sometimes deliberately allowed to build up over time to prevent more destructive corrosion, as in the case of the Statue of Liberty.
#5 Colette
Do NOT turn right, but keep going straight so that the 58th division is on your left and the 59th will soon be on your right. Pay attention to the left side of the road just before the next big intersection for Colette’s (1873–1954) simple tomb.Long before Cher or Madonna, Colette earned her right to one-name fame by writing novels. Gigi, arguably her most famous work, was first made into a French film, then a stage production starring Audrey Hepburn (1951), and finally into a Hollywood movie musical, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
#6 Louis Visconti and company
Soon you will see a large middle road called avenue Principale. If you were to head down this avenue to the right, you would be exiting via the main entrance. However, our visit has just begun, so head up to the left toward the Monument aux Morts at the top of the avenue. On your way (keeping to the left side of the road), you will see a tomb featuring a man looking pretty relaxed: Louis Visconti (1791–1853). Louis Visconti looks content with his life’s accomplishments—and so he should! He was the architect for both the expanded Louvre and for Napoléon’s tomb at the Invalides. Five tombs up from Visconti lies Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), or does he? Rossini’s body was given back to Italy in 1887, but the great opera composer’s tomb remains for your appreciation. Two tombs farther up you will visit the writer Alfred de Musset (1810–57). Behind him to the left, his sister is keeping watch. Up two more tombs from de Musset is the Haussmann family tomb.Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809–91) was given unprecedented power under Napoléon III to completely reshape the look of Paris. He created the large boulevards (all the better to prevent barricades from revolutionary-minded citizens), the parks (delegated to Alphand), and the architectural style that dominates the city. If you were a poor person kicked out of your home to make way for Haussmannian gentrification, you probably wouldn’t be much of a fan of the citywide remodel going on between 1853 and 1870. Nevertheless, Paris as we know it would not exist without the ambitious Baron Haussmann.
#7 Monument aux Morts
Now that you’ve seen just a few of the famous dead, why not pause to honor all the dead? In front of you (at the top of the avenue) stands the Monument aux Morts.The Monument aux Morts sculpture consumed ten years of sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomé’s life. After the death of his wife in 1888, Bartholomé began work on this sculpture. The finished monument was unveiled in front of nearly one-hundred thousand visitors in 1899. The work evokes a somber, sorrowful, yet touchingly hopeful view of death as men, women, and children on either side of the central opening await their turn to pass through to the other side. The hand of a nude woman on the shoulder of a nude man offers comfort.
#8 Lebanese cedar
After contemplating death at the Monument aux Morts, go up the stairs on the right side of the monument. On your left stands a Lebanese cedar planted in 1870—a living link to the past.
#9 François Arago
Head back down the cobblestone path, and on your left, you will see the bust and tomb of François Arago (1786–1853).François Arago was a member of the provisional government after the revolution of 1848. He helped to abolish slavery in the French colonies.
#10 Héloïse and Abélard
Turn left onto avenue du Puits and keep going straight up avenue Casimir-Perier (7th Division).As the road curves left, to your right you will see the large gothic tomb of Héloïse and Abélard, legendary lovers of the twelfth century. You will need to walk off the path to take as close a look as the iron gate surrounding the tomb permits. Those who are single or lovelorn would often leave letters pleading for help, tributes, and other trifles, necessitating the protective ironwork. Whether of not the remains of the two lovers are actually interred side by side here is a debated issue.
#11 Étienne-Gaspard Robertson
Get back on the road. As you continue up, look for the tomb of Étienne-Gaspard Robertson (1763–1837) on your left.With its creepy winged skulls, bas-relief sculpture featuring monsters, and a flying skeleton, the tomb of Étienne-Gaspard Robertson is one of my favorites. Robertson was an eighteenth-century physics demonstrator who specialized in magic lantern shows that used phantasmagorical projections to delight and frighten audiences.
#12 Jim Morrison
Speaking of phantasmagorical, it’s time to head over to the grave of Jim Morrison (1943–71). From avenue Casimir-Perier, turn right on chemin Serré (7th Division), then take the very first left on chemin Maison—the scent of marijuana will almost lead you to this site of rock pilgrimage. At the fork, head toward the top of the road and then follow the crowds and the scent to his grave.The plot is modest and behind several other graves. Jim Morrison’s grave is closely guarded so that people won’t do rubbings, paint graffiti, or whatever else they want to do. You will see what it’s like to have groupies even in death (not a pretty sight).
#13 Casimir Perier
So once you have, like wow, man, um, paid homage to Jim, head out the other side to chemin de Lesseps. Go left and take chemin Lauriston, then left again to the roundabout graced with a statue of Casimir Perier (1777–1832) at its center.Casimir Perier was a politician with deep pockets and close ties to the king—a good way to make sure you get a magnificent burial.
#14 Frédéric François Chopin
Work your way to the left so you will face Monsieur Perier before turning your back on him to visit composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–49). The quickest way to get to Chopin is to cut through the ironwork grave (which, if you have turned away from the front of Perier, should be slightly to your right). Go straight down where you will find a real path again called chemin Méhul, go left, and take your first right.Frédéric François Chopin will be on your right, probably graced with some flowers. With Chopin on your right, continue on chemin Denon. On your left, you will soon see a sculpture of Vivant Denon (1747–1825), one of the pioneers of museology. Denon worked for Louis XV, then fled to Venice during the French Revolution, but he eventually got a job working for Napoléon Bonaparte. He accompanied Bonaparte to Egypt and helped organize expeditions all over Europe to pillage—oh, I mean, curate—works of art for what was to become the Louvre museum. To your right, you may notice the tomb of Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842), a composer of operas.
#15 Théodore Géricault
Keep going straight and turn right on chemin Talma; at the end will be a wide road, avenue de la Chapelle; turn left. As you walk on avenue de la Chapelle, look left for Théodore Géricault (1781–1826).Théodore Géricault is perched atop a representation of his most famous painting, theRaft of the Medusa. You may see the immense painting (193 x 282 inches) at the Louvre, but for now you may admire it in a heavily oxidized bas-relief version.
#16 Léon Noël
Turn back in the direction you came from and go left up chemin du Bassin—oh, and when I say up, I mean it. This is where the real hike begins.On your right, you will see the bust of actor Léon Noël, whose best review is inscribed on the pedestal.
#17 Two of the Great Writers
At the top of chemin du Bassin, the path will change to chemin Molière; follow chemin Molière until you see a fence surrounding the tombs of both the great comic playwright Molière (1622–73) and the fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95).The graves may or may not contain the actual remains of Molière and Jean de La Fontaine—two great writers. They were transferred to Père-Lachaise in 1817 at the same time as Héloïse and Abélard (some might call it a publicity stunt for the cemetery).
#18 "A Simple Young Woman"
Time for another short cut. On the right side of Molière’s grave, cut through the narrow space (I promise that it’s okay) to get up to the main avenue Transversale No. 1, turn left on this road and the 43rd Division, and the 45th Divisions will be on your right.On your right, you may notice a plate with the name Corinne Heiss-Cisse (1959–2003) with a message for visitors. I’ll translate the first part:Passersby—Visitors . . . etc. This tomb does not house a celebrity, but a simple young woman. She was a mother, a sister, a daughter, all this to satisfy your morbid curiosity since the nameplate is frequently stolen.As the message continues, so do the reprimands and the accusations—a somber reminder, both of the need to respect the dead and of the dangers of being buried near famous people.(Note: In a 2019 visit, I could not find Corinne Heiss-Cisse's grave, even after a lengthy search. Hopefully you will have more luck and if you do find it, please send us a photo and some directions).
#19 Allan Kardec
Turn right on the paved road, avenue des Combattants Étrangers Morts Pour La France. On your right, you will find the tomb of Allan Kardec (1804–69).Allan Kardec was the founder of the doctrine of Spiritism. His is said to be the most visited and the most flowered tomb at the cemetery. (Sorry, Jim Morrison).
#20 The Crematorium
Continue up a bit more, where, inset on your left, lies a rough-hewn tombstone for poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918). As you cross avenue Transversale No. 2, there will be a large crematorium on your right. Continue on avenue des Combattants Étrangers Morts Pour La France and turn right into the main entrance of the crematorium.The crematorium was built in 1889, and it tends to make me claustrophobic. You may not want to stay long.
#21 Alice Ozi
Walk through the left wing and go left down the stairs at the halfway point. Turn right on the large path, avenue Transversale No. 3. Time to count trees. At the third tree on your left (start counting after the intersection and don't count stumps) is the tomb of Alice Ozi (?–1893).Alice Ozi (Ozy) was an actor, and her elaborate tomb might have something to do with the fact that she was the mistress of not one, but three famous men: Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d’Orléans, the duc d’Aumale; Théophile Gautier; and Gustave Doré.
#22 Oscar Wilde
Got lipstick? You will see what I mean as, facing Ozi's tomb, you cut across diagonally (forward and to the right) to find the tomb of Oscar Wilde (1848–1900).Immortalized in stone as a giant naked sphinx, Oscar Wilde, the author of the Portrait of Dorian Gray managed to cause a scandal even in death. A bronze fig leaf was added to the naked sphinx to placate the sensitive public, but it didn’t take long for the leaf to become a trophy hung around the neck of some dandy in le Quartier Latin. Today, fans of Wilde show their appreciation in a less destructive way: kissing the tomb with freshly applied lipstick. Note: a glass barrier was erected in 2011 to prevent damage and make the monument “kiss-proof,” however, devotees will always find a way to express their feelings; they now write on the barrier in lipstick.
#23 Victor Noir
Go back down avenue Carette until you reach avenue Transversale No. 2, turn left, and keep your eyes on the left side for the tomb of a young journalist-turned-fertility-god, Victor Noir (1848–70).At age twenty-two, Victor Noir was sent on behalf of a politician to arrange a duel with Prince Pierre Bonaparte, the great-nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte and cousin of the Emperor Napoléon III. An argument broke out and Bonaparte shot the messenger. Prince Pierre was acquitted thanks to his cousin, and more than 100,000 people attended Noir’s funeral as a form of protest. In 1891, Noir’s remains were transferred to Père-Lachaise, and a life-size bronze statue of the murdered journalist was placed on the tomb. Whether true-to-life or a sign of the sculptor’s generosity, a certain prominent part of Noir’s anatomy has become a fertility charm for women seeking to get pregnant. A fence was installed in 2004 to discourage unwanted polishing, but protesters insisted on their rights to access this magical power, and the fence was removed.Note that in their—ahem!—insistent admiration and proclivity toward "polishing," the protective verdigris (gray-green oxidation) has been wiped away from a certain part of the sculpture, leaving it more vulnerable to atmospheric damage over time, something that might one day make Noir's adoring public weep.
#24 Monuments to the Victims of War and Genocide
Continue to the next street, avenue Greffulhe, turn left, and then take a right on avenue Transversale No. 3. Turn left on avenue Pacthod and then right at the top of the avenue. You should now be on avenue Circulaire, in the realm of far more serious memorials.Here you will see a series of monuments dedicated to the victims of war and genocide. Immediately on your right, there is a memorial to an unknown person deported from France (the man laboring at a giant cog) to “work” and then die at the hands of Nazis. Next to the first monument, there is a massive green monument dedicated to those who died in the Oranienburg concentration camp. Following that, a monument to those who died in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Across from the Buchenwald monument, on your left, you will see a memorial to Auschwitz that is a grim reminder of man’s inhumanity to man. One down from that, you will see a replica of the memorial at Dachau, site of the prototypical Nazi concentration camp.The Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is memorialized in an artistic depiction of footsteps heading toward a vanishing point—particularly poignant when you consider that the Nazi's successfully destroyed nearly all the camp records, thereby obliterating the existence of thousands of inmates whose story will never be told. On April 15, 1945, the 11th British Armoured Division liberated the camp and discovered 60,000 prisoners starving to death and riddled with disease, along with 13,000 unburied corpses, including the bodies of Anne Frank and her older sister, Margot. Of those rescued, approximately 14,000 persons died as a result of the extreme camp conditions, unable to be saved even following their liberation.As you will continue down the path, you will pass roses planted in memory of the deported and the French resistance and placed as a symbol of resurrection.
#25 French Commune de Paris
Go down the small path by a sign marked “avenue Circulaire 76e division.” This will lead you to a wall honoring the victims of another shameful moment in French history: the Commune in May 1871.The history of the Commune is a complicated one, but in brief, it involved an uprising of the people of Paris at the beginning of the Third Republic. Napoléon III had been defeated and Adolph Thiers was elected president of the new Republic (read: wannabe king), and the newly elected National Assembly was dominated by royalist sympathizers. When Thiers ordered that cannons (leftovers from the Franco-Prussian War) be taken from the National Guard in Paris, violence broke out, and two of Thiers’ generals were killed. Thiers withdrew to Versailles—a move that did nothing to foster a feeling of democratic rule—and sent his army to take over Paris.In one week, known now as Bloody Week (21–28 May, the date inscribed on the wall), much of Paris was reduced to ruins and more than twenty thousand rebels were killed. This wall, here in the Père-Lachaise cemetery, called the Mur des Fédérés, is where the last Communard rebels were gunned down. After the violence, the government did its best to erase the memory of the Commune. When Thiers died, he was given a glorious funeral and burial in a massive tomb right in the middle of this same cemetery (55th division).
#26 Gelato Refreshment
You will end this walk on a rather somber note. After you have visited the wall, you will follow avenue Circulaire down to the main entrance and exit the cemetery.You might need to sit down and recover from the dehydration and emotional drain of this walk. On a corner near boulevard de Ménilmontant, you will find a gelato shop where you may regain some energy before getting back on the métro Père-Lachaise across the street.
The End
After the WalkIf you enjoyed the walk around the cemetery, let me suggest two other visits: the Cimetière de Montparnasse (3 boulevard Edgar-Quinet, métro: Line 6, Edgar-Quinet) and the Cimetière de Montmartre (entrance at avenue Rachel, métro: Line 13 or 2, Place Clichy), both smaller cemeteries with their share of famous people.
