Ancien Cimetière

Hidden in plain sight on the summit of Montmartre, lies the Ancien Cimetière, also known as the Cimetière du Calvaire. This small, walled cemetery, adjacent to the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church, holds a captivating history. The Ancien Cimetière is one of the last two Parisian cemeteries next to a parish church. With only 85 tombs within its walls, the Ancien Cimetière is the smallest cemetery in Paris. It’s so exclusive that it opens to the public only on All Saints’ Day, November 1st. The Ancien Cimetière’s name derives from the garden extending from it, featuring a calvary. This sacred space contains the highest point of natural Parisian soil, reaching 130.53 meters. A bronze gate, crafted in 1980 by Italian sculptor Tommaso Gismondi, guards the entrance. Gismondi also created the doors for the neighboring Saint-Pierre church. This ancient cemetery holds centuries of stories. Officially established in 1688 on land donated by Marie-Anne d’Harcourt, Benedictine abbess of Montmartre, it’s believed to stand on a former Merovingian necropolis. The Ancien Cimetière expanded in 1697, but closed during the French Revolution. Considered property of the clergy, it became a national asset. The cemetery was dismantled. It reopened in 1801. The resurrected Ancien Cimetière became the final resting place for local inhabitants. Noble families returning from exile, especially from the lower Montmartre (now the 9th arrondissement), and some residents of the upper Montmartre, including millers, were buried here. A mass grave holds the remains of soldiers who fell during the capture of Paris by allied forces in March 1814. By 1823, the Ancien Cimetière reached capacity. A few new plots were granted until 1831 when the Saint-Vincent cemetery opened. Today, the perpetual concessions are reserved for descendants of the original families. The most recent burial was in 2010, for Jean Varenne of the Debray family. Notable figures rest within the Ancien Cimetière’s walls. Among them are Louis Pierre Nolasque de Balbes de Berton de Crillon, Duke of Crillon and general, whose family name graces the Hôtel de Crillon; Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, admiral and explorer; and the Debray family of Montmartre millers. The Ancien Cimetière in Montmartre is more than just a burial ground. It is a time capsule. It preserves whispers of Paris’s rich past. The stories etched onto each tombstone. The grandeur of noble families and the simplicity of millers intermingled. They create a tapestry of lives lived and legacies remembered.