Montmartre Cemetery in 1824

Although officially opened in 1825 under the auspices of the city of Paris, Montmartre Cemetery had been used for burials since the end of 18th century.  

Felix Beaujour division 48 Père-Lachaise 1872

During the final days of the Paris Commune, before the terrible denouement of Bloody Week ending with the massacre of 147 communards at the eastern edge of Père-Lachaise, the cemetery was used by rebel troops as bivouacs.

Here we see a print from 1872 depicting a number of soldiers (probably communards) using tombs as tables for dinner while lounging around drinking waiting for something to happen. The soldier in the background is standing at the entrance to Felix Beaujour's large obelisk in division 48.

Jacob Robles - division 7 in Pere-Lachaise then and now

Little is known of Jacob Robles (1782-1842) other than he was born in Port-au-Prince and died in Paris. However, the sculpture Le Silence by Auguste Preault (division 49) is also in the collections of the Louvre.

1842 by Toullion

Abraham Diaz-Carvalho - division 7 in Pere-Lachaise then and now

Abraham Diaz-Carvalho (1796-1814) was the son of David and Reina (Cohe).

According to art historian Henry Jouin there was a bust of marble on the tomb created by Pierre Fessard but it doesn't show up in Marchant's print from 1821-22. Odd.

Visconti - division 4 in Pere-Lachaise then and now

Ennius Quirnus Visconti (1751-1818) and his son Louis Tullien Joachim Visconti (1791-1853). An Italian archeologist, Ennius was curator of the Capitoline Museum in Rome before supervising the antiquities room at the Louvre. He was originally buried in what is now division 10 but removed to division 4 next to his son, architect and designer Louis Tullien. Louis designed many Parisian buildings and squares, including the Place Saint Sulpice, but is perhaps most well-known for designing the tomb of Napoleon at Les Invalides.

1832 in Normand

1840 Marty

Ennius (rear) and Louis (front) Visconti - photograph by Gede

Memorial to the Victims of June 1832 - division 6 in Pere-Lachaise then and now

Erected by the city of Paris, this memorial pays homage to members of the municipal and national guard who perished during the uprising of 20 June 1832.

Their names are listed on the obelisk, largely illegible today, and bodies were interred in the open space in front of memorial:

Pierre Hippolyte Aubert, Francois Michel Bellier, Nicolas Beranger, Jean Cartier, Jacques Louis Leonard Chollet, Charles Joseph Cocquelet, Pierre Condamine, Claude Duc, Henri Fauchier, Joseph Folenfant, Bernard Forest, Pierre Gaultier, Jean Julien Geoffroy, Felix Gilles, Gravet, Pierre Joseph Guenifet, Charles Herera, Jean Francois Hervet, Francois Kolleter, Jean Baptiste Ladroix, Eugene Lavrilliere, Emile Lefort, Louis Victor Lemoine, Jean Lhubert, Jean Louis Lointier, Dominique Morge, Antoine Marquez, Etienne Mathieux, Louis Menard, Jean Moder, Pierre Auguste Mousseau, Francois Munerel, Jean Pargala, Francois Xavier Pernot, Jean Baptiste Honore Prevost, Louis Pussier, Jean Raud, Mathias Reybel, Francois Xavier Sattlair, Dominique Schmitt, Pierre Georges Senegon, Charles Louis Vanherseque, Claude Weber

For more information plus an illustration of the monument circa 1840 see Les Principeaux Monuments Funeraires du Pere-Lachaise, de Montmartre, du Mont-Parnasse et autres Cimetieres de Paris (1840) by Rousseau, Lassalle and Marty.

There seems to be a bit of confusion about this monument. As noted above, Marty et al make it clear it was erected for the victims of 1832, yet more recent sources, particularly in Valverde and Hughes Le Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise and in Philippe Landru's exhaustive website, the monument supposedly honors those killed in the 1848 uprising. And Bertrand Beyern writes that the monument honors those killed in 1832, 1834, 1835 and 1848.

A very small but nonetheless perplexing puzzle. . .

Charles Lebrun - division 5 in Pere-Lachaise then and now

Charles-François Lebrun, 1st Duke of Plaisance, prince of the Empire (1739–1824) was a French statesman.

Auber - division 4 in Pere-Lachaise then and now

Daniel Francois Esprit Auber (1782-1871) was a French music composer known largely for his work in grand opera. You can learn about Auber and his work right here.

Charles Henri Ver Huell - division 28 in Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Charles Henri or Carel Hendrik Ver Huell (also Verhuell, 1764-1845) was a Dutch, and later French, admiral and statesman.

Buried with Charles are his brother Christian Antoine (1760-1832) a Dutch admiral, and Charles's two sons: Maurice (1791-1810) and Charles (1797-1827). The monument was erected following the death of Maurice.

1825 by C. P. Arnaud

2013

Girodet-Trioson - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Louis Girodet (also known as Girodet de Roucy-Trioson or Girodet-Trioson, 1767–1824) was a French painter and pupil of Jacques-Louis David. He is buried in division 28.

1832 by Quaglia

1840 by Marty

2006 by Steve Soper

Beaumarchais and Comte de Ribes - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732–1799) was a French playwright, watchmaker, inventor, musician, diplomat, fugitive, spy, publisher, horticulturalist, arms dealer, satirist, financier, and revolutionary (both French and American).

It is unclear as to where Beaumarchais was originally buried when he died in 1799. Eventually, however, he was reinterred in division 28, near the Comte de Ribes.

1840 by Marty

2012 by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

General Maximillien Foy - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Maximillien Sébastien Foy (1775–1825) was a French military leader during the Napoleonic Wars and wrote as highly-regarded history of the Peninsular War. Toward the end of his life he was a member of the national Chamber of Deputies and noted for his eloquence.

1828 by Marchant

c. 1830 by Pugin

1832 by Quaglia

1836 by Richard

1840 by Marty

c. 1841 by Furne

by Civeton

1855 by Solomon

by Didier Grau

Bellevoine - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Little is known about the Bellevoine family in division 28 other than they had a keen eye for a unique tombstone: nothing like a pile of rocks to mark the permanence of death.

1836 by Richard and Terry

2006 by Steve Soper

Louis-Marie-Joseph Gossuin - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Louis-Marie-Joseph Gossuin (1759-1821) was a general and civil administrator during the Napoleonic era. He is buried in division 28.

1832 Normand

2013

Jean Pierre Joseph baron de Jaquet - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Jean Pierre Joseph baron de Jaquet (1779-1829), was a French military commander during the Napoleonic wars.

1832 Normand

2012 by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Louis Nicolas d'Avout (usually spelled Davout or Davoust, 1770-1823) was a Marshal of the Empire and reportedly one of Napoleon's most loyal commanders. His is buried in division 28 nears Marshals Massena and Lefebvre.

1832 Quaglia

2006 by Steve Soper

Marshal Francois Lefebvre - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

François Joseph Lefebvre (1755-1820), was one of Napoleon's original eighteen Marshals of the Empire. He is buried in division 28 near Andre Massena, another Marshal of the Empire.

1828

1832 Lefebvre (Normand)

1832 Lefebvre (Normand)

1832 Lefebvre (Quaglia)

1840 Lefebvre (Marty)

2009 by Steve Soper

Marshal Andre Massena - division 28 Pere-Lachaise - then and now

Andre Massena (1758-1817 was a French military commander and one of Napoleon's original eighteen Marshals of the Empire. He is buried along with his son-in-law, Honore Charles Reille (1775-1860, Marshal of France, in division 28, near Francois Lefebvre, another Marshal of the Empire.

1855 Massena (Salomon)

1821 Massena (Jolimont)

1832 Massena (Normand)

1832 Massena (Quaglia)

1836 Massena

1840 Massena

late 19th century by Eugene Atget

1896 by Fraigneau

2006 by Steve Soper