Pere Lachaise

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Pere Lachaise is a fabulous cemetery located in the heart of Paris. It is the largest in Paris, France and one of the most visited cemeteries in the world. It was established in 1804, after a long history where cemeteries were banned in France from fear of health hazards and disease, Pere Lachaise quickly became “the ultimate symbol for the rich and famous.” It showed that if you could afford all the best in life, then surely you deserved the best after.

Some of the most well know people buried in the cemetery are histories star-crossed lovers Pierre Abelard and Heloise, La Fontaine, Moilere, and more recently the Doors lead singer Jim Morrison. While it is a resting place for the more famous and wealthy of France and a few other parts of the word, Pere Lachaise is also one of three memorials dedicated to World War I and has monuments that are dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust during World War II.

The cemetery, laid out by France’s own Alexandre-Theodore Brongniart, is a beautiful and “Romantic-inspired necropolis.” With its winding pathways, and thousands of monuments and trees, Pere Lachaise has become and open aired museum, pantheon garden, and is also the largest park in Paris.

For a virtual tour of Pere Lachaise visit:
http://www.pere-lachaise.com/

By: Michelle Paz