There are fourteen cemeteries within the limits of the municipality of Paris, some of them are world famous and historic graveyards such as Père-Lachaise. The cemeteries of Paris were built outside the limits of Paris in the 19th century.
The fourteen municipal cemeteries of Paris are spread out in the French capital from the West to the East.
Here are the cemeteries listed by their areas (hectares):
There are more tombs and necropolis in Paris: the private cemetery of Picpus, the Catacombs of Paris, the Panthéon, the Hôtel des Invalides, the Column of July and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe. Many tombs are found in several churches in Paris.
There were 52 parish graveyards in Paris before the French Revolution. One of the largest was the cemetery of the Innocents, located near today’s Les Halles. For 800 years, this was the biggest cemetery in town but also the filthiest. The Innocents was shut down in 1780 and millions of skeletons were transferred in the Catacombs.
Photos of the cemeteries of Paris
A few photos of Paris’ most popular cemeteries:
Cimetière du Père Lachaise
The Montparnasse cemetery is the burial place of Jean de la Fontaine, Molière, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Yves Montand.
The cemetery of Père Lachaise © French Moments
Cimetière du Montparnasse
The Montparnasse cemetery is the burial place of Charles Garnier, Charles Baudelaire, Auguste Bartholdi, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Serge Gainsbourg.
Montparnasse Cemetery © French Moments
Cimetière de Montmartre
The Montmartre cemetery is the burial place of Hector Berlioz, Marie-Antoine Carême, Dalida, Edgar Degas, Georges Feydeau, Sacha Guitry, Stendhal, and Émile Zola.
Montmartre Cemetery, Paris © French Moments
Cimetière de Passy
The Passy cemetery is the burial place of of Claude Debussy, Fernandel, and Édouard Manet.
The cemetery of Passy, Paris © French Moments
Cimetière de Charonne
The Charonne cemetery flanking the church © French Moments
Cimetière du Calvaire
The Calvary cemetery flanking the church of St. Pierre of Montmartre © French Moments
