View from Mont-Louis

Before it became Père-Lachaise the cemetery was called Mont-Louis, for a long time a retreat for Jesuits.

Here's a print dated c. 1750 showing a very unique view of Paris from the top of the eastern hills. The house in the left of the photo is about where the chapel is today; the large cluster of trees that dominate the photo corresponds roughly to division 53. (Thanks Marie for forwarding the link1)

Two puzzles solved!

Thanks to Marie Beleyme, we now have answers to our two sculpture puzzles.

The large relief, dated 1829, in D39 is the grave of Cappon/Capron/Carron, the spelling is unclear at this point.

(all photos from Pierre-Yves Beaudoin, wikimedia)

In D6 the eroded stone with the relief of an eagle on both sides is in fact part of the original monument to the Memorial to the Victims of June, which is located close by. As you can see from the monument itself it, too, has the same eagle relief and you can now make out the words liberte ordre public.

The puzzle and its answer:

Two puzzles in Père-Lachaise Cemetery

OK, up front there are way more than just two puzzles to be found in those 107 hilltop acres on the east side of Paris. As some of you know, I've been working on identifying and locating all the artwork in Père-lachaise and right now I'm trying to identify two very specific and rather dramatic reliefs.

The first one is in D6, along the same line as the bust of Lapommeraye, and not far off of Chemin Lebrun. It's a unique stone with very same relief on both sides of the monument but aside from the word ordre there is no identifying inscription (as you can see one side is much eroded).

The second relief sits in D39 just along Avenue des Acacias where it becomes Avenue Transversale No. 1, close to the Turpin mausoleum and just up from Chemin Suchet.

(photos by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, wikimedia)

Elisa Mercoeur D17 Père-Lachaise

Elisa Mercoeur's (1809-1835)  monument has been completely overhauled is as good as new -- right down to carving her poem la cimetière. (Thanks Marie for forwarding the new image.)

The way it looked . . .

. . .  and the way it is now:

Oh, and this was the monument c. 1840:

Claire Leris de Latude Madame Clairon division 20 Père-Lachaise

Philippe Le Royer - postcard

Croce--Spinell and Sivel - postcard

Beuce - postcard

Calvaire Cemetery - open today!

Today, All Saints Day, is one of the three days a year that the oldest cemetery in Paris is open to the public. (The other is Heritage Days, the 3rd weekend of September.)

Located adjacent to Saint Pierre church and just steps away from Sacre Coeur and Place du Tertre this space is a slice of Paris history just waiting to be enjoyed.

Opened in 1688, the tiny Calvaire is not only the oldest cemetery in Paris but undoubtedly the smallest as well. It’s 600 square meters holds some 85 graves. The cemetery was officially closed in 1831 when it was replaced by Saint-Vincent Cemetery.

One notable thing to be seen any time of year is the superb bronze door at the entrance created in 1980 by Italian sculptor Tommaso Gismondi.

Directions
Make your way to the Butte Montmartre — from Sacre Coeur walk around Rue Azais to Rue du Mont Cenis and the cemetery and church Saint-Pierre is on your right. Or, from Place du Tertre take Rue Norvins to Rue Mont Cenis, turn right and the cemetery is on your left.

Entrance
One entrance on the north side of the small square in front of the ancient church of Saint-Pierre.

Facilities
None.

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