CIMETIERE DU CALVAIRE -- Montmartre, Paris, France

This is one of only two cemeteries left in Paris which are still attached to the church, and this one is only open three days per year. Toussaint, All Saints' Day, November 1 is one, and the special Saturday-Sunday "heritage weekend" throughout France (usually early Autumn) are the only times you can visit this place. This little cemetery is old but is by no means the oldest in Paris, I think.
Everyone goes to the famous Basilique de Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre, which is nice (not very old) yet they ignore this historic church, which is never crowded and is very nice. Usually, in Paris, the famous tourist spots have something even MORE interesting practically next door which might be free and potentially much more interesting. This is an example.
Most visitors just look at the "obvious places" on Montmartre, which are, essentially, tourist traps. There is a heck of a lot more than just the typical stuff, usually thronged. I do get lost easily in Montmartre, however, and need a detailed map, information in advance, and even a guide, after 21 years here.
This is adjacent to the Saint-Pierre de Monmatre church, and the "calvaire" refers to a calvary in an attached garden. Apparently, there was an ancient Merovingian cemetery/necropôle here, and this cemetery has antecedents going to 1688. Due to lack of space, it was closed in 1823. (No more room.) There are 85 toms here, it was closed during the first French revolution in the 18th c., and many aristocratic families known in Montmartre are here. During the seige of Paris in 1814, many dead soldiers are in a mass ditch grave here. There are also many "ordinary people" from Montmartre here.
Métro: Lamarck Caulaincourt or Abbesses
(I recommend the funicular railway to get up and down, one basic ticket each way.)
Bus: 54-30 or the Montmartrobus
Modest attire is requested, no photos (ooops!), no pets, be tidy, et c.
copyright 2014 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A.
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[@rebeccanassif8462]

Thank you for sharing this! Guillaume Mathieu Dumas, the Napoleonic general whose grave is shown at about 9:35, is my husband's ancestor. Our trips to Paris are few and far between and never on November 1; it is wonderful to be able to see his grave and to have the documentation.

[@bnfox]

such an interesting place

[@CuteCatFaith]

A. Useful .Idiot It is! I will soon post another clip here or on Dailymotion of turning on a young tourist couple to it. They went right back up, were having a great, short, probably once-only visit and really were clueless about what to do here (which is typical). It's a shame so many come here and don't grasp that all the City of Paris museums are free except for certain special exhibits, too. So much here is free, or there are free days. Nothing but your shoe leather! This place was oddly un-sad and very peaceful despite the tragedies and mass grave. :)

[@Duffy512]

I think that was one of your best videos yet. Very informative. It is really quite shocking to see a cemetery in such disrepair. I guess the parish does not have the money to keep it up.

[@CuteCatFaith]

Ian Duff It's been closed since 1823. They do protect it but there is absolutely no more space here and a mass grave for dead soldiers from 1814. Unless people bought a concession in perpetuity, after yours anyplace here runs out, it will sit for a few years and efforts will be made to find family to see what they want to do, but then the grave is cleaned out, taken away and closed, period. It's actually a sign of the old parish wealth that it's even sitting here quietly, peacefully at all. I don't think most people understand how respectful France is of the dead, even too much. Why would they keep this up more than they do? It's lovely like this, and very protected. There are practically no family left to visit here, ever, and why let the public just gawk at things destroyed during the Revolution and otherwise too faded to read or understand? THAT would be disrespectful. You know nothing, apparently, of French morals and stuff. Toussaint is a major one to two week holiday here, and everyone goes to at least one grave, cleans and checks it, decorates it, visits, and the war graves here are kept forever restored, with a pretty plant and tidiness. Going all the way back. If family don't go or keep up the concession, there's only so much they can do for private citizens. If you only have, say, a ten-year concession, hey. Jim Morrison got moved out of Père Lachaise awhile back. So it goes.