If you make a rating of cities in the world according to the number of urban legends, mystical secrets and traditions, Paris will surely enter the top three. Notre Dame Cathedral, the ornaments of which, according to legend, hide a recipe for a philosopher's stone, the Grand Opera Theater with a mysterious cast, which owns box No. 5, the catacombs of Tomb Issoire … Today we will go on a breathtaking adventure through the Paris cemetery of desires - Pere Lachaise! Many will find here a lot of interesting things for themselves: photographers - unusual angles, fans - the graves of their idols, and lovers of romance can enjoy a leisurely walk through the necropolis.
A look into the past
Once upon a time there was an area where the poor lived. Here criminals, arrogant crooks and prostitutes were swarming. The history of the Pere Lachaise cemetery began in 1430, when in this area on a high hill a wealthy merchant built himself a luxurious mansion, which later became the property of the monastery. Even later, these lands, along with Sharron Hill, where the first burial sites had already appeared, were transferred to the Jesuit Order. The area was named after one of the fathers of this order, the spiritual mentor of the king of France, Louis XIV, Francois de la Chesa.
The Order used the friendship of a mentor and a monarch for mercenary purposes. So, the order was able to significantly expand and ennoble its possessions. The huge bright garden was decorated with fountains, exotic plants. By the way, over time, the garden turned into a place for romantic dates. Representatives of the secular layers of Parisian society met here.
Land confiscation
After the death of Louis XIV, the order went bankrupt very quickly, and the lands were confiscated and sold at auction. Amazing gazebos, marvelous waterfalls, grottoes were destroyed. The garden itself was redesigned in the English style. At the place where the monastery was formerly located, a chapel was built around which the Pere Lachaise cemetery appeared in Paris.
Popularity
It was significantly removed from the borders of the city, and therefore only local residents were buried in this cemetery - for the most part the poor. The authorities decided to increase the popularity of the cemetery in the eyes of wealthier citizens. Therefore, it was here that the remains of Mahler and Abelard, Lafontaine and many other famous people were reburied. This plan turned out to be very successful, and therefore already in 1824, at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, there were about 33 thousand graves. Over the next two centuries, prominent Parisians - workers of science, culture, art, were buried in this necropolis. To date, more than one million people have found their peace in this cemetery! We will tell you more about the most famous.
Eloise and Pierre Abelard
The personification of eternal love, the legendary couple is buried in this Paris cemetery. Pierre was a poet, philosopher, theologian, and monk. His tender feelings for a student named Eloise were mutual. They wanted to share the lovers, but Pierre Abelard took the girl from Paris to Brittany. There the couple had a son, and later they secretly married.
In the end, the relatives of Eloise separated their loving people. The girl was forced to take monastic tonsure, and Pierre was oskrostil. But it is not for nothing that people say that love is the strongest. Pierre Abelard and Eloise were able to reunite, however, only after death.
Frederic Chopin
At the grave of the famous composer, located in Paris at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, there are always a lot of flowers. This is not surprising - fans of Chopin often visit the necropolis - the author of 16 Polonez, 21 nocturnes, 60 Mazurkas, 17 waltzes, 27 sketches and 26 preludes. Frederic lived only 39 years, his life ended in Paris, the cause was tuberculosis. An interesting fact - Chopin is not entirely buried in this cemetery! The fact is that the composer bequeathed to transport his heart to Warsaw and store it in one of the churches.
Jean Louis Andre Theodore Gericault
The fame and recognition of this painter was brought by a truly grandiose canvas called “The Raft of Medusa”. However, the artist did not take very long to enjoy the crazy success - as soon as he was 22 years old, he fell from his horse and died.
Edith Piaf
The great French actress and singer Edith Piaf was buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. This woman survived four car accidents, three hepatic comas, one suicide attempt, seven operations, two severe attacks of delirium tremens and one attack of madness, two world wars. And in 1963, when she was not even 50 years old, she died. Edith was buried all over France, the people who carried the coffin walked in colors. Mourned the "French Sparrow" the whole world. By the way, in her grave with Edith Piaf lies her only daughter, who died at the age of two.
Honore de Balzac
Among those who are buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, and the greatest French novelist. The end of life brought Balzac a lot of grief. He was overworked due to the huge amount of work. The indecision of Countess Evelina of Ghana also oppressed him. It was on this woman that Balzac simply dreamed of marrying. First, the marriage was prevented by the first husband of Ghana, and then her internal vacillations. When the wedding finally took place - in 1850 - Honore de Balzac already had the first signs of arteritis. Five months later, the writer died, leaving the widow only unpaid debts. Three decades later, Evelina was buried in the same cemetery, under the same gravestone with her husband.
Yves Montand
The famous singer and actor Yves Montand was buried in the territory of this necropolis. This happened on the set of IP-5, when Montan was 70 years old. Eve is quiet next to his wife Simone Signoret. It is worth noting that a thin birch tree is planted next to the grave of this family - a symbol of Montana’s affection for Russia and a kind of allusion to the actor’s political views.
Amadeo Modigliani
Who is buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris? Italian artist Amadeo Modigliani. He came to Paris without money, full of dreams of recognition and glory. Almost immediately, Amadeo plunged into the bohemian life of Parisian poets and artists. Modigliani died in late January 1920 in a clinic in the city of Paris, where he was treated for tuberculous meningitis. And just a day later, his pregnant girlfriend Zhanna Heybutern passed away - she jumped out of the window of the fifth floor.
Amadeo Modigliani was buried in a very modest grave on the Jewish site of Pere Lachaise. The funeral was truly grandiose - sitters, poets, actors and artists came to spend it on their last journey. Hebutern was originally buried in another cemetery, but in 1930 its remains were transferred to Pere-Lachaise.
Jim Morrison
The grave of this American singer, poet, leader of the musical group The Doors has become a real place of cult worship of fans. Out of a feeling of great love for their idol, fans write lines from songs and recognition not only on Morrison’s tombstone, but also on neighboring graves!
According to the official version, Jim died in July 1971. He died in Paris from a heart attack. However, many believe that this version was invented to hide the real cause of death of the great musician. Among the options are suicide, an overdose of heroin, and even a pretense of suicide by special services, which at that time were fighting with participants in the hippie movement! And in our time, rumors about the death of a musician do not subside. The answer to the question of what happened to Morrison could be given only by his girlfriend Pamela. But three years after his death, the girl also died - from an overdose of drugs.
Russian graves in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris
There is a necropolis and the burial place of our countrymen. The Decembrist Nikolai Turgenev and Princess Trubetskaya are buried here. Here, Princess Elizaveta Demidova-Stroganova found her last refuge.
The grave of the famous orientalist Nikolai Khanykov, located on Pere-Lachaise, is decorated with the work of the sculptor Antokolsky. The singer Felia Litvina, the anarchist Nestor Makhno, and the participant in the Russian-Japanese war Olemanovich-Pavlenko found peace here. On the territory of this necropolis is the grave of the great Isadora Duncan. By the way, next to it are niches with ashes of Patrick and Didre - children of a dancer. They died 14 years before Isadora’s death, along with their nanny, when the driver got out of their car, and for some reason the car started off and fell right into the Seine.
City's legends
Associated with the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris and legends, sometimes very unusual. For example, at the tomb of Morrison, you must definitely drink strong alcohol, and it is important to leave the part in the bottle next to the tombstone.
Another legend associated with Pere-Lachaise says: passing the monument to Oscar Wilde, you must certainly kiss the monument! This is how you can find happiness in love. How all this is connected with one of the most lonely and unhappy writers in love is not entirely clear, but the ladies of the tradition hold sacred: they paint their lips in bright colors and kiss the tombstone.
Another legend (and very dubious) says: in this cemetery you must visit the burial place of journalist Victor Noir. He was lucky, handsome, and women loved him very much. Just a day before the wedding, Victor fought a duel with Napoleon's nephew Pierre Bonaparte. Pierre shot Victor. Noir was buried at Pere Lachaise and a monument was erected there. According to local legend, a young lady who dreams of a happy family life should come to the monument to Victor, put a bouquet of flowers in his hat, kiss the statue on the lips and be sure to rub the groin! As a result, almost the entire statue was covered with moss and cobwebs, only a small tubercle on the trousers of the monument remained polished. Local authorities decided to stop this disgrace, put a fence around the grave and hung signs prohibiting rubbing obscene parts of the tombstone.
