The Cimetière de Picpus is a tiny, hidden cemetery that feels like a slice of 19th-century Normandy. It’s not a tourist destination, and you won’t be able to rely on signs from the Picpus metro to get there. It’s not like the Cimetières du Père-Lachaise, de Montparnasse or de Montmartre, which draw visitors for contemplative strolls around historic sites. When I was searching for it, I only realised I was lost when I knocked on what I thought was the right door and was greeted by a very confused nun from a neighbouring convent. But you’ll eventually come upon an unassuming entrance, with a path leading past a gatehouse with blue shutters that looks like it belongs on a farm in the countryside.
Past the misplaced farmhouse lies one of the quietest and least known places of rest in Paris. The graves are interspersed among oak and plane trees, the space surrounded by high stone walls. Established in 1794, the site is home to several communal graves of victims of la Terreur, their sobering markers dispersed among the greenery. In 1898, artist Victor Marec captured the tiny space in his excessively-titled painting, Le cimetière de Picpus et le champ des Martyrs, où furent enterrées les victimes de la Révolution guillotinées à la barrière du Trône. Here also lies the Marquis de Lafayette, the famous 18th-century French-American diplomat known for his contributions to the American Revolutionary War, and Lafayette’s grave is one of the main reasons people visit (many of them American). But Picpus is special whether a famous man lies there or not. Stunning as it is, Paris can be overwhelming . The Cimetière de Picpus offers a secluded moment of repose.
The Musées de Paris museum map of Paris
Le Cimetière de Picpus, 35 rue de Picpus, 75012 Paris, métro : Picpus (line 6)
Monday to Saturday 2pm to 5pm, full fare 2€
Closed Sundays and public holidays
Les Musées de Paris 