This week we are walking through history – both Earful Tower history and Paris history, to discuss the world-famous Père Lachaise cemetery.
We have reached back into the Earful Tower archives to bring you an interview with author Joe Start, who wrote a book on Père Lachaise called The Chairfather – a literal translation of the cemetery’s name in French. In the second half of the episode, Marie Segura from My Private Paris gives us her unique take on the cemetery.
The podcast episode
Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find the episode on iTunes or Spotify or on this website here.
A dive into its history
On the eastern slopes of Paris lies the sprawling cemetery of Père Lachaise. Named after a priest who was the personal confessor of Louis XIV, it has become the most visited cemetery in the world, thanks to its famous residents, including Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde. Over 3.5 million people walk the cobbled paths every year, curious to take in the cemetery’s stories, sights and unique views across Paris.
The graves of Père Lachaise
For those amongst you who are reticent about visiting a cemetery, Joe shares advice on the ideal way to visit, his tips on which graves to find and what to avoid. Of course, it isn’t possible to visit every grave in the cemetery in one visit and the majority belong to private individuals, so which should be prioritised?
Kisses for Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde’s famous sculpture headstone was placed on his grave in 1914 and pretty soon, a tradition started where visitors would leave lipstick kisses on the pale stone. Unfortunately, those visitors were unaware that these kisses were actually damaging the sculpture. A hundred years after the sculpture was installed, a new protective glass wall was added. You might already know this, but it’s actually the Irish government who pays for the maintenance of Oscar Wilde’s grave as it’s considered an Irish monument overseas.
Security for Jim Morrison
Père Lachaise may seem like a surprising resting place for the frontman of The Door, Jim Morrison. However, you can be buried here if you die in Paris or you are French. After Morrison’s premature death in the Marais, his girlfriend purchased a small plot in a secluded corner. Of the many visitors who have paid homage to the musician, some weren’t behaving particularly well, so the cemetery decided to hire a security guard to watch over the discrete grave. Read here to find out about the strange offerings people leave at this grave (and others).
Go on a scavenger hunt for Edith Piaf
Edith Piaf’s grave is one of the trickier to find in the cemetery, as she is buried with several family members in the Gassion-Piaf site. Of course, its inaccessibility means that when you do eventually find it, you’ll likely be the only one there. Although, judging by the constant presence of fresh flowers, Edith Piaf’s is clearly one of the most visited in the cemetery.
Crossing borders for Chopin
When Frédéric Chopin, the Polish-French composer died in 1849, it was decided that his heart should be buried in Warsaw, separately from his body. His sister also sprinkled Polish soil over his coffin as it was being buried. Undoubtedly, this grave is the most intercontinental in the cemetery.
An authentic Guimard grave
Recently I was wandering in Père Lachaise when I happened upon this grave designed by the father of father of Art Nouveau (and the guy who designed the beautiful métro entrances) Hector Guimard. I don’t know much about its owner, Ernest Caillat, but one thing is certain – if you ask Hector Guimard to design your headstone then you must have impeccable taste.
Thank you for listening and to Marie and Joe for sharing their knowledge. You can find Joe’s book, The Chairfather, here or on ebook here. Here’s your chance again to listen to the podcast.
This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by My Private Paris, which is an award-winning travel company creating deluxe itineraries for Paris and beyond. See what they offer here and be sure to let them know that you came from The Earful Tower.
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