I’ve been browsing the blog for the Literary Cemetery, which catalogues (with photos) the death and burial information for literary personalities. As with all such things, it’s a work in progress (and I will admit to being disappointed that there was nothing for Lord Byron). However, a good cross-section of French writers are there, including Sartre, Camus, Victor Hugo, and others. I’ve made a list, so I can decide which cemetery(ies) to visit next year.
Hi Alyssa, I love this post of yours. Kind of morbid, but hey, I guess I like that. We have a book coming up where the heroes–freelance spies–live in a house right near the Montparnasse Cemetery. No, the cemetery does not play a big role, but I visited the setting with the author and after our meeting I was very tempted by a stroll.
It is a bit morbid, but it’s interesting to see how some writers chose to be buried. There are quite a few that were cremated, and occasionally some buried at sea.
I’ve been to the cemetery at Montparnasse–it is so beautiful. Many cemeteries in my hometown are quite dull as there are not many monuments or large gravestones (often there are whole sections with only small plaques set into the earth, in order to make it easier to mow the grass). I hope to visit Montparnasse cemetery (and maybe Pere Lachaise or Montmartre as well) when I return to Paris. š