Pere-Lachaise Cemetery is one of the must see attractions of Paris. This crematorium is known as Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in French. It is the largest cemetery in Paris, covering an area of 118 acres of land. Père-Lachaise is an internationally recognized cemetery. Location of Pere-Lachaise Cemetery at Boulevard de Ménilmontant in the 20e arrondissement of Paris makes it easily accessible from any part of the city by Gambetta, Père Lachaise and Phillipe Auguste Metro. The Pere-Lachaise Cemetery is recognized as the most visited cemeteries in the world attracting millions of visitors annually. 200 years old graves of popular dignitaries carry information inscribed on the edifices. The cemetery also houses three Great War memorials.
The Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris derived its name from Père François de la Chaise. The actual land of this property was situated on the hillside and was bought by the city in 1804 and was extended by Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart. The cemetery was constructed by Napoleon in the year 1804.
Most of the tours to Pere-Lachaise are self-guided. Many researchers and scholars come here to derive useful information from the graves of renowned French people. There are nearly 300,000 graves at the Pere-Lachaise Paris' cemetery.
Tourists should visit Pere-Lachaise Cemetery on sunny days. Strolling amid the green blossoming garden on a bright day is indeed a memorable experience for the visitors. The graves lie on the
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either side of the wide road leading straight into the cemetery. The road leads to a lovely hilltop offering spectacular views of the cemetery and other sites of the City of Lights.
Some of the graves in Pere-Lachaise Cemetery belonging to popular personalities are as follows:
- Far-east and Southeast Corner of the cemetery houses graves of Oscar Wilde (Irish writer), Modigliani (Italian painter), Edith Piaf (musician) and Paul Eluard (poet).
- Northern Section comprises graves of Marcel Proust (writer), Balzac (writer), Guillaume Apollinaire (poet), Richard Wright (American writer), Delacroix (painter) and Isadora Duncan (American dancer).
- South-Central Section is home to the graves of Victor Hugo (writer), Sarah Bernhardt (actress), Jim Morrison (American rock musician), Molière and La Fontaine (playwrights).
- Mideastern Section or the Principal Entry of the cemetery has graves of Alfred de Musset (poet), Colette (writer), Frédéric Chopin (classical musician), Baron Haussmann (19th-century architect).
Pere-Lachaise Cemetery is one of the most revered places to visit in Paris. The memorial to World War II Deportees and Resistants are one of the attractions of this historical site.
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