Earlier this week, I went to visit Picpus Cemetery to visit the grave of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. I was visiting Lafayette’s grave on the request of my parents, who wanted to visit while they were here but missed out. Lafayette’s grave was nice and all, but I found the history of the cemetery to be more interesting.
About 1,300 victims of the Reign of Terror were buried in mass graves in Picpus after being beheaded in the nearby Place de la Nation. Afterwards, the families of the victims found the location of the mass graves and quietly purchased the plots surrounding them. The victims’ families wanted a proper place to mourn and founded a cemetery next to the mass graves, where they could also be buried close to their family members. Because of the unique method by which this cemetery was established, Picpus Cemetery is now only one of two private cemeteries in Paris (which comes with a 2€ entry fee).
If this is a cemetery for the families of Terror victims, then why is Lafayette buried there? Lafayette was buried there to be with his wife, Adrienne de Lafayette, who died some 27 years before Lafayette. Adrienne was actually one of the people who spearheaded the effort to find where the mass graves were dug and buy the land surrounding them. Adrienne’s sister, mother, and grandmother were beheaded and buried in the mass graves during the Terror, and Adrienne herself was meant to be beheaded as well.
Also fun fact: The soil covering Lafayette’s grave was brought from Boston, more specifically, from the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
This was so fascinating to read! What a very interesting history of this cemetery. Due to the cemetery being private, did you notice fewer people there than at the Pere Lechaise today? Just curious if the entrance fee (despite it being small) has any effect on its popularity, even though Lafayette is buried there.
The cemetery wasn’t busy at all, but is also very small. There were only a couple other people there.