What, you might ask, could possibly be so interesting about a cemetery? But the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris has the distinction of being one of the most visited in the world. It's home to the graves of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and plenty of other celebrities of the political, screen, music and written worlds.
It's also a really peaceful place. If you're a little overwhelmed with everything that you need to see and do in Paris, this is a great place to come for a break.
As you can see, the graves are laid out along small paths, and there are plenty of trees to protect you from the sunshine. It is a very extensive place, so come prepared. Google Maps is helpful not just in getting here, but also getting around. However the cemetery has signposts and directions to every single famous tomb.
This is still a functioning cemetery, so you'll see a lot of graves with flowers, candles and other tributes. This is Jim Morrison's. When I was there, it was firmly cordoned off. I suppose you could jump the barriers and lay flowers, but I would strongly advise against it.
There are plenty of family graves. Some of the modern ones are most beautifully decorated with floral tributes.
While some of the modern graves do have amazing sculptures, the older ones outdo them in all respects. Lefebvre died in 1991. So this beautiful relief work is not typical of the modern sections of the cemetery.
This particular tomb intrigued me. It's almost like a medieval castle, complete with stained glass window. However just who Rudolf Lehmann was is a complete mystery. This Rudolf isn't the artist or the writer, neither is he the Nazi judge. There was also an SS officer named Rudolf Lehmann. But I'm guessing it isn't him either. It would be ironic if he were one of the latter guys, as this cemetery has some poignantly haunting memorials to the victims of the Holocaust.
They all have the power to move you, and bring home the horrors of the Second World War in a very real way. No matter your feelings upon the subject, these memorials are an absolute must visit. The sculptors have really managed to convey their message through the medium of stone.
The tomb of Oscar Wilde is another reason why people visit this cemetery in droves. I will admit that I was quite surprised by the design of the headstone. A winged Egyptian cum Assyrian, um, sphinx-like creature for one of modern literature's most famous writers? It has been mentioned that the sculptor who created the monument was inspired by Wilde's poem 'The Sphinx'. If you see smudges of red and wonder about the glass barrier, it's there to prevent people (mostly women) kissing the tomb with red lipstick on their lips. Apparently it was a cult practice in the nineties to smear your lips with the brightest red lipstick you had, and kiss Wilde's tomb. Bizarre, I know.
The graves that I loved the best are those that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. They have these elaborately carved memorials. The ones belonging to generals and admirals are especially well done.
Some have marble friezes that depict the battles that the officers fought or made their names in.
So should you fancy a break from the multitude of museums, art galleries and boutiques that make up Paris, Père Lachaise is a great place to visit.
Till next time,
MumbaiGirl.
IG: @maryannecp
No comments:
Post a Comment