Isn’t it a paradox that one of Paris’s smallest cemeteries holds some of its most intriguing stories? This is the Calvaire des Pucelles. It is a place where history whispers from every weathered tombstone.
The Calvaire des Pucelles is officially named Cimetiere de Saint-Pierre-du-Calvaire. It is under the care of the Montmartre Cemetery. The Calvaire des Pucelles offers a glimpse into the lives of Montmartre’s past residents.
This cemetery is tiny. It measures only about 600 square meters. That makes it the smallest cemetery in Paris. The Calvaire des Pucelles is tucked away next to the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church. Its name comes from a garden nearby.
The cemetery has only 85 registered tombs. Access is very limited. The Calvaire des Pucelles is only open to the public on November 1st for All Saints’ Day.
The Calvaire des Pucelles is considered the oldest cemetery in Paris. It was officially created in 1688. Marie-Anne d’Harcourt ceded the land. She was the abbess of Montmartre. The site is believed to be an ancient Merovingian necropolis.
It expanded in 1697. Then it closed during the Revolution. Cemeteries were viewed as church property then. The cemetery was dismantled. A law in 1791 made it property of the commune. It reopened in 1801. A new burial ground was opened called the Cimetiere de la Barriere Blanche.
After reopening the Calvaire des Pucelles held the graves of locals. These were mainly noble families from lower Montmartre. Some residents from upper Montmartre were buried here too. Millers were among them.
A mass grave holds soldiers who died in 1814. They died during the capture of Paris. The cemetery closed in 1823 because it was full. Some new plots were granted until 1831. That year, the Saint-Vincent cemetery opened. Since then, existing tombs have been used only for family descendants. The last burial was in 2010. It was Jean Varenne from the Debray family.
Many notable people are buried in the Calvaire des Pucelles. Louis Pierre Nolasque de Balbes de Berton de Crillon rests here. He was the Duke of Crillon and a general. Etienne-Alexandre Bernier is also interred here. He was a Vendee leader. He negotiated the Concordat of 1801. He later became a bishop.
Louis-Antoine de Bougainville’s family plot is here. He was an admiral and explorer. His heart and his son’s heart are buried here. His wife’s remains are here too. Christophe Caires de Blazere also rests here. He was a priest who secured the Rue Lepic’s creation.
The Debray family has a tomb here. They were Montmartre millers. Nicolas-Charles Debray opened the Moulin de la Galette. The family tomb has a small red windmill on top.
Felix Desportes is buried here. He was Montmartre’s first mayor.
The Fitz-James family tomb is here. Edouard de Fitz-James is among them. He called for Marshal Ney’s execution.
Princess Galitzine, nee Chipoff is buried here. She was a Russian noblewoman. Jacques Guibout rests here. He saved Louis XVI’s life.
The Lecuyer family tomb is here. They were Montmartre quarrymen. The Montesquiou-Fezensac family plot is here. D’Artagnan belonged to this family. Sophie Swetchine is buried here. She was a Russian writer.
The cemetery is enclosed by walls. A bronze door marks the entrance. The door was created in 1980. Tommaso Gismondi sculpted it.
Classified as a historical monument, the Calvaire des Pucelles preserves Montmartre’s history within its quiet grounds. It is a reminder of lives lived. It is a landmark of families who shaped this iconic Parisian neighborhood.