THE PÈRE-LACHAISE CEMETERY IN PARIS - Urbex tour of the Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris with its abandoned tombs One of the hills of Paris, called Champ-l'Évêque because it belonged to the Bishop of Paris in the Middle Ages, took the name Mont-aux-Vignes in the 12th century, for the crops that were grown there at the time. In 1430, a wealthy merchant named Régnault de Wandonne bought the estate in order to build a luxurious house: a folly. This is the origin of the name of the current rue de la Folie-Regnault in the 11th arrondissement. Two centuries later, the Jesuits acquired the land to make it a place of rest and convalescence. The house welcomed the young King Louis XIV for a few hours, who came to watch fighting on these heights during the Fronde. This event gave the place the name Mont-Louis. But the most illustrious occupant was François d'Aix de La Chaise (1624-1709), known as Father La Chaise, confessor to the King of France Louis XIV, who exercised a moderating influence on him in the fight against Jansenism. He remained there from 1675 until his death in 1709. He had a small castle built there. Mont-Louis was separated from the village of Ménilmontant by the Chemin des Partants (now Rue des Partants and Rue Villiers-de-L'Isle-Adam). Count de La Chaise, brother of the Jesuit father, gave many festivals on the estate, which contributed to its expansion and embellishment. But in 1762, the Society of Jesus was forced to cede the land due to a debt owed by Father de Jacy. Over the years, the gardens were abandoned and the owners succeeded one another, to return, on 9 Ventôse year XI to the prefect of the Seine, Nicolas Frochot, for the sum of 180,000 francs. The Père-Lachaise cemetery, also called "Eastern cemetery", is the largest Parisian cemetery and extends over 43 hectares. It is part of the parks and gardens under the management of the Paris city hall. It is a unique place that invites meditation and reverie, imbued with art, culture and history, where one travels through its mazes of stones and vegetation. More than 3 million visitors from all over the world visit it each year. It totals 70,000 funeral concessions. Many personalities are present there and we will have the opportunity to talk about them in the articles: artists, musicians and singers (Frédéric Chopin, Rossini, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Alain Bashung…) and writers (Molière, Balzac, Colette, Marcel Proust, Jean de la Fontaine, Oscar Wilde…), statesmen, military men, historians, … The Père-Lachaise cemetery Visiting the Père-Lachaise cemetery is a unique, unforgettable experience. Benefiting from the accompaniment of a guide allows you to discover all its secrets. Along the green paths, the visitor that you are can come across the graves of men and women who have marked the history of France and the world. Politicians, writers, actors, singers, scientists, notables… Thousands of personalities from all eras rest in the Père-Lachaise cemetery. Discover the personalities buried there. The most famous necropolis in the world The famous Parisian cemetery of Père-Lachaise takes its name from the time of Louis XIV and the king's confessor: Father François d'Aix de La Chaise. The cemetery is the most visited necropolis, but also the most prestigious in the French capital. This place is located in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. It extends over a total of forty-four hectares and has no fewer than seventy thousand concessions. Anonymous and celebrities are buried there every year, and have been for centuries. A work of architecture The Père-Lachaise cemetery has a unique design that combines the rich characteristics of an English park with a place of deep meditation. Today, the Père-Lachaise cemetery is a true open-air museum and thus houses numerous architectural and sculptural works intended for funerary art. You can come here to observe all the possible styles of this specific art: Haussmannian vaults, Gothic tombs, antique mausoleums, works of the Second Empire, neoclassical buildings, sculptures of all styles… Guided tour of the Père-Lachaise cemetery thanks to our video Unprecedented visit to the abandoned tombs of the Père-Lachaise Cemetery of Paris France Europe - Urbex Decay Rust Previously visited the abandoned tombs of the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris France Europe - Urbex Decay Rust Previously visited the abandoned tombs of the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris France Europe - Urbex Decay Rust Previously visited the abandoned tombs of the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris France Europe - Urbex Decay Rust