Paris city hall is providing a unique opportunity for individuals to be laid to rest among renowned artists of history. Interested participants have the chance to acquire a burial spot in Paris’s iconic cemeteries, such as Père-Lachaise, by entering a draw that closed on Wednesday.
The winners of the draw will have the privilege of restoring a neglected and overgrown grave in exchange for the opportunity to purchase the burial rights to a plot in the cemetery.
Père-Lachaise Cemetery, along with Montmartre and Montparnasse, stands as one of the principal burial grounds in Paris, attracting millions of visitors annually. The cemetery is a final resting place for notable figures like Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Frédéric Chopin.
City authorities have identified 30 graves in need of refurbishment across the three cemeteries. In Paris, families are responsible for maintaining the gravestones of their deceased relatives. Due to the limited availability of new burial spaces within the historic cemeteries, the initiative to engage the public in restoring tombstones serves as a compromise between honoring the deceased and offering Parisians a chance to be interred in their city.
The lottery draw, currently only open to Parisian residents, requires a registration fee of 125 euros. Winners will be required to pay 4,000 euros to secure the grave they will be restoring. Upon completing the restoration work with approved stonemasons within six months, they will have the option to purchase a burial plot for approximately $28,000 for perpetual rights.