Paris is a city filled with endless historic sites, but one of the most beautiful, and serene, is Père-Lachaise Cemetery. The cemetery is the largest in Paris and covers 110 acres of land. With over 3 million visitors each year, it is also believed to be the most-visited cemetery in the world.
Père-Lachaise is actually more like a small village than a cemetery, with the graves lining a number of winding, cobblestone streets. The history within these 110 acres is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. Not only is the history of the cemetery itself fascinating, but the number of historical figures buried here (both French and international) is astounding. If you have the time while in Paris, I highly recommend spending a couple of hours exploring this unique site.
History of Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Père-Lachaise was opened as a cemetery in 1804, in the northeastern part of the city. It was named after François de la Chaise, a Jesuit priest and confessor of King Louis XIV. He lived in a Jesuit house, formerly located on the grounds, and was commonly referred to as “Père-Lachaise”. The cemetery was opened largely to deal with issues of the overcrowding of graveyards in the the centre of Paris and became the world’s first example of a “garden cemetery“.
What is a garden cemetery?
Garden cemeteries became popular in the 19th century for the same reason that Père-Lachaise was opened, to deal with crowded cemeteries in city centres. Urban graveyards were becoming rundown, unattractive and, quite frankly, difficult to secure a space in. As a result, the city of Paris came up with the idea to open a cemetery located outside of the city centre, but still close enough for family members to visit.
Garden cemeteries are characterized by rural landscaping, which often includes lots of greenery and foliage. They’re also well-known for their ornate statues and tombstones, which was definitely a change from previous styles of cemeteries. This was also a result in the Victorian’s changing attitude towards death, as they started to view death in a more romantic light, rather than it all being doom and gloom. This is depicted in the grand design of many of the burials. Père-Lachaise has also always been a non-denominational cemetery, which was also a change to previous, usually sectarian, urban burial sites.
Becoming the World’s Most Popular Graveyard
While the idea of a garden cemetery sounds like the perfect solution, it wasn’t an easy sell when Père-Lachaise first opened. In fact, when the burial ground opened in 1804, it is said to have only contained 13 graves! By standards of the day, the cemetery was located a bit too far out of the city centre to attract funerals and burials, so the administration had to come up with a plan to boost its popularity. Later that year, they organized for the remains of two “celebrities” of the day to be transferred to Père-Lachaise. Surprisingly, it worked! After the remains of French poet, Jean de La Fontaine and playwright and actor Molière were moved to the cemetery the number of burials began to increase. Before long, it became a symbol of status to be buried at Père-Lachaise, and by 1830 the cemetery consisted of over 30,000 graves.
Visiting Père-Lachaise Cemetery Today
Today, Père-Lachaise contains approximately 70,000 graves, although it is believed that up to 1 million bodies are potentially buried there. The cemetery is made up of an incredible 97 divisions and I would highly recommend picking up a map at the entrance. This will help you to pinpoint the graves you wish to visit. What I enjoyed about wandering through the cemetery, is that it’s much like walking through a small village, rather than a graveyard. The tombstones are stunning, and while there are a number of famous graves to be visited, I enjoyed looking at the graves of everyday people as well. Some even include old photographs and memorials and I found it fascinating to think about these individuals’ life stories.
Notable Graves in Père-Lachaise Cemetery
With the thousands of graves in Père-Lachaise, it can be difficult to know where to start. There are so many individuals buried there, with fascinating stories, and you could easily wander around for days exploring them all. However, there are some notable historical graves that I would recommend trying to see, especially if it’s your first visit. To help guide your visit, below I’ve listed some of the key graves of historical figures located within the cemetery and the divisions in which you can find them.
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf was born in Paris in 1915 and is known as one of the greatest French singers of her time. Also known as La Môme Piaf “The Little Sparrow”, Piaf rose to stardom in the 1930s (after a poverty-stricken childhood) with her unique and passionate style of singing. Her most famous song, “La Vie En Rose” was written in 1945 and became popular worldwide. She is also believed to have worked with the French Resistance during World War II.
In 1963, at the age of 47, Édith Piaf passed away in the French Riviera. She had been suffering from health issues and is believed to have passed as a result of liver failure. She was buried in Père-Lachaise Cemetery and thousands of mourners descended on the cemetery to pay tribute to their beloved icon. Today, her grave can be found in Division 97 of the cemetery and is often adorned with flowers by those who still pay tribute to her legacy today.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland in 1854 and went on to become one of the most beloved Irish writers. He is for works such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1891) and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895). He was also a promoter of Aestheticism and believed in the idea of “art for art’s sake”; placing emphasis on the beauty of art, rather than the meaning behind it. While Wilde is revered as a writer today, he suffered a tragically difficult life as a result of those who looked down on his flamboyancy and homosexual relationships. In 1895, Wilde was imprisioned for two years after being convicted of “indecency” during a time when homosexuality was illegal in England. After he was released, he spent the remainder of his life in France, where he passed away in Paris in 1900.
Oscar Wilde’s grave can be found in Division 89 of Père-Lachaise and is a popular destination for fans of the writer. Up until 2011, it was common for visitors to leave lipstick kisses on his grave as a tribute, however due to preservation efforts this is no longer allowed (there was actually a fine instated and now the tomb is covered by a glass screen). However, his grave is still a popular place for fans to visit and pay tribute.
Jim Morrison
One of the most popular reasons tourists visit Père-Lachaise Cemetery, is to see the grave of musician Jim Morrison. And truthfully, it was so busy when I was there that I couldn’t even get close enough to take a decent photo. Jim Morrison was born in 1943 in Florida, United States and would go on to become the frontman of rock band The Doors. Morrison loved the city of Paris and in 1971, moved to the city while taking time out from the band. Tragically, he died while in Paris, on July 3, 1971 at the young age of 27. The circumstances surrounding his death have always been mysterious, though it’s commonly believed he passed away from a drug overdose.
At his request, he was buried in Père-Lachaise Cemetery and today, his grave is a popular place to visit for both fans and those with an interest in music history. Jim Morrison’s grave can be found in Division 6 of the cemetery.
Auguste Comte
Auguste Comte was born in 1798 in Montpellier, France and would go on to become one of the most well-known philosophers of the 20th century. He is also known for being one of the founders of sociology, alongside Herbert Spencer and Karl Marx. His work, including his theory of Positivism, is still studied around the world today. Comte’s career was definitely interesting, and while his contemporaries didn’t always agree with him, he certainly made his mark across Europe.
Auguste Comte passed away in 1857 at the age of 59 and today his grave can be found in Division 17 of the Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
Jane Avril
Born in 1868, Jane Avril was a French can-can- dancer who rose to fame dancing at the Moulin Rouge. She is also known for being somewhat of a muse to the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and was often featured in his well-known paintings of the dancehall. Nicole Kidman’s character in the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge! is also loosely based on her.
Jane Avril had a successful career as a performer and performed up until her retirement in 1905. She married the French artist Maurice Biais in 1911, however they eventually separated and she sadly spent the remainder of her life in poverty as a result of the Great Depression. Jane Avril passed away in 1943 at the age of 74, but was buried in the Biais plot in Père-Lachaise. Today, visitors can find her grave in Division 19.
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin was born in (what is now) Poland in 1810 and is one of the most celebrated composers and pianists of the Romantic period. Chopin was a natural talent and published his first composition at the age of seven. As a young man, after performing across Europe, he moved to Paris in 1832, where he continued his musical career. He composed some of his most popular works while living in France, including his Sonata in B Minor and Opus 55 Nocturnes. Towards the end of his life, he struggled with health issues, and after a series of performance in the United Kingdom, he passed away shortly after in Paris in 1849.
Frédéric Chopin’s grave can be found in Division 11 of Père-Lachaise Cemetery, however not all of him is buried there. His heart is actually buried at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, Poland. Fascinatingly, his sister smuggled his heart back to Poland to be buried in their homeland.
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was born in Paris in 1844 and became a popular French actress of the 19th and early 20th centuries. She started acting at a young age and as a studied at both the Conservatoire de Paris. and the national theatre, the Comédie-Française. She went on to have a dazzling career, both in the theatre and on screen, and is often referred to as one of the first international superstars. Known as “The Divine Sarah”, she was a fascinating figure, remembered for both her performances as well as oddities such as keeping a coffin in her bedroom.
After a long and successful career, Bernhardt passed away in Paris in March of 1923 at the age of 78. Today, her grave can be found in Division 44 of Père-Lachaise and is a popular site for fans of the late actress.
Above are just a handful of notable graves in Père-Lachaise although there are many more interesting figures buried here. I highly recommend grabbing a map on your way in to see the full list of interest individuals.
Key Information for Visiting Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris
1. What is the best way to get to Père-Lachaise Cemetery?
The easiest way to get to Père-Lachaise is by public transport. The cemetery actually has five entrances, but the main one is located at 8 boulevard de Menilmontant, 75020 Paris. The closest metro station to this entrance is Metro Philippe Auguste (line 2).
2. When is the cemetery open?
3. How long does it take to walk around Père-Lachaise Cemetery?
4. Who is buried in Père-Lachaise Cemetery?
5. What other historical things are there to do nearby?
Paris is a city filled with historical things to do. You can visit the Louvre Museum, the Palais Garnier, or wander the streets of historic Montmartre. For further recommendations in Paris, see 10 Historical Things to do in Paris, France.
This article’s information was last updated in October 2022.