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The Montparnasse Cemetery
by David Emanuel
The Montparnasse Cemetery is the final
resting place of many of France's great intellectuals, although it also
contains the graves of many celebrated foreigners. While not as large
or popular as Père-Lachaise on the eastern side of Paris, a
stroll through the tree-lined alleys of the cimetière du
Montparnasse is a pleasant and historic excursion in Paris's highly
modern Montparnasse quarter (made quite clear by the imposing Tour
Montparnasse, which can be seen from inside the cemetery's walls).
When you arrive, pick up a map (plan)
at the entrance. These xeroxes point out the final resting places of
Charles Baudelaire, Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre,
Man Ray, Simone de Beauvoir, and Tristan Tzara, among many others.
Take your time, don't rush from one grave to
another, walk along the lanes and take a look at the sculptures. The
cemetery opened in 1824, so the sculptures vary in style, some of them
dating to the 19th century with others barely ten years old.
In the center of the cemetery, on the
circle, stands Horace Daillion's “Le Génie du sommeil
éternel” (The Spirit of Eternal Sleep) given to the city
in 1902 by the artist. In the 4th division of the cemetery
is “La Séparation du couple” (The separation of the
couple) which depicts a man crying as his love enters her grave. This
piece was actually made for the Jardin du Luxembourg, but was moved to
the cemetery in 1965 after it was considered too obscene.
For a slightly more upbeat work, go see T. Rachevskaïa's grave in the 22nd
division. While you won't know who Rachevskaïa is, you will
recognize Brancusi's stone scultpure “Le Baiser” (The
Kiss), one of his first cubist works produced in Paris (Brancusi is
buried in the 18th division, in a much less adorned grave).
Be sure to go see the monument by Niki de Saint-Phalle, who also did
the Fontaine Tinguely at Beaubourg. The guard can tell you where to
find it, or you can just look for the sculpture that's covered with
mirrors.
As you wander around the cemetery, check
your map to see if there are any graves nearby you want to visit. This
is especially important if you want to see Baudelaire's grave. While
there is a large monument, his actual grave is much smaller, and he
shares it with his mother and stepfather.
So read your map! If you don't do this,
you'll find yourself wandering aimlessly, looking at the graves of
people you've never heard of. You'll still come across some of the
tombs that you wanted to see, but you're more likely to get tired and
then run from one side of the cemetery to the other trying to see all
of the stars.
It's a good idea to come here earlier in the
day as the gates to the cemetery close early. Don't worry about getting
locked in, a guard with a handbell will walk through the entire
cemetery informing you that it is time to go 10 minutes before the
gates are closed. Give yourself at least an hour to visit, although you
could easily spend two or three.
Useful Information
Address:
3 boulevard Edgar-Quinet
75014 PARIS
Metro station: Raspail
Hours:
Open seven days a week
From November 16th through March 15th:
Monday-Friday: 8am-5:30pm
Saturday: 8:30am-5:30pm
Sunday and Holidays: 9am-5:30pm
From March 16th to November 15th:
Monday-Friday: 8am-6pm
Saturday: 8:30-6pm
Sunday and Holidays: 9-6pm
 Click here to read Patti Cassidy's feature on the Montparnasse Cemetery.
Copyright (c) 2007 - www.paris-hotel-by-district.com CH. All rights reserved.
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