Paris Cemetery Offers Lottery for Burial Near Famous Figures
The Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, known as the resting place of notable figures such as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Marceau, and Frédéric Chopin, is now offering a rare opportunity for burial plots. Due to limited space within the city, the cemetery management is selling thirty gravestones in disrepair at €4,000 each (about $4,500).
Historic Cemeteries Included
Besides Pere Lachaise, the offer extends to other historic Parisian cemeteries:
- Montparnasse: Home to Jean-Paul Sartre and Jacques Chirac
- Montmartre: Resting place of impressionist painter Edgar Degas and royal executioner Charles-Henri Sanson
Conditions for Purchase
Buyers must restore the gravestones they purchase and then acquire the burial plot adjacent to the restored monument. This ensures the preservation of historic graves while allowing new burials.
Lottery Due to High Demand
Because of strong public interest, the sale will be conducted through a lottery, scheduled for January.
"Offering eternal rest next to the stars is a compromise," say Paris city officials, "that both respects the dead and lets residents be buried within the city, where there is very little room remaining for graves."
This lottery presents a unique chance for devoted fans to rest among some of history's greatest cultural icons in Paris.
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