Twenty-two hectares of tranquility. That’s Cimeti`ere de l’Est. It’s also known as Cimeti`ere Chaptal. This isn’t just any cemetery. This is one of the most beautiful in France. Second only to Père Lachaise in Paris.
Established in 1779 Cimeti`ere Chaptal is a treasure trove of artistic and architectural wonders. Lillois personalities rest here. Former mayors Pierre Mauroy and Roger Salengro are among them. The Coustenoble-Dujardin family originally owned the land. They requested that the cemetery remain wooded and floral. Their wish was granted. The result? A beautifully landscaped park. A serene escape within a bustling city.
Imagine strolling among 36000 tombs. Over 520 plant species surround you. You could wander for hours. You might discover the bronze statue of Eliza de Try. This life-size sculpture depicts the cellist playing her instrument. She won first prize at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels in 1865. She toured extensively across Europe and even the United States.
Then there’s the bronze bust of Alfred Quesnay. He was a flautist at the Lille theater. A weeping muse accompanies his bust. This angel design is common in many cemeteries. It’s inspired by one in Amiens Cathedral.
The cemetery also holds the graves of five Lille resistance fighters from the Great War. Jules Maertens’ tomb is particularly striking. His body lies beneath an allegory of France. The brick wall beside it is said to be original. It’s where he was executed. Eug`ene Jacquet’s grave displays Masonic symbols. Sylv`ere Verhulst’s features a bronze medallion. The Decottignies tomb depicts an elderly mother. She kneels before her soldier son’s simple wooden cross.
Edmond Riquier-Delaunay a lyrical singer rests here. So does Desrousseaux the creator of “Le p’tit quinquin”. A song emblematic of the Nord region. Louis-Alfred Delepoulle an entrepreneur is also buried here. He was a German hostage during World War I. He later became vice-president of the committee for the construction of the Lille War Memorial.
The Degryse family tomb is impressive. Its Art Deco style features a bas-relief of Christ’s resurrection. Among the oldest graves are a Jewish section and those of British citizens. They settled in Lille in the mid-19th century.
There’s a mausoleum resembling a Greek temple for the Leconte-Collette family. They were shoe merchants with a large shop in Lille. The faces of a daughter and daughter-in-law adorn the stone “coffin”.
Andr’e Guilbert the first driver to die at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1925 is also remembered here. Gaston Dubar rose from humble beginnings to become a newspaper owner and banker. His grave displays a garland of pine cones. This is an ancient symbol of immortality and fertility.
The impressive Delebart-Mallet family monument stands as a testament to a textile dynasty. The sculptures are by Edgar Boutry. He also created sculptures for Lille’s war memorial. Many funerary symbols adorn it. Life-size weepers poppy flowers and overturned torches among them.
General Faidherbe’s grand mausoleum sits in a central location. He commanded the Northern Army during the Franco-Prussian War. He became a deputy and later a senator. He also governed Senegal.
The Muli`ere-Del`e caille monument features an angel. Charles and Th`ereses lost their two young children. Albert Baert designed this and Edgar Boutry sculpted it.
Edmond Deren is represented with his clarinet. He was a music professor at the Lille Conservatory. The Melchior family tomb displays coats of arms for Lorraine Lille and Flanders. They managed the Ravet-Anceau yearbooks. The neo-Gothic Gonnet family chapel designed by Charles Leroy could hold around forty burials. Weeping women draw attention to the Casse family chapel. They owned a tulle and lace factory in Fives.
Henri Ghesqui`ere a socialist activist is buried here. He improved working conditions. He died in prison during the Great War. His tomb bears the SFIO emblem. Henri Dillies’ tomb reads “Died for the proletariat”. Eug`ene Pouillaude a socialist activist was secretary of the Saint-Maurice youth socialist group.
Arthur Courouble was a prominent SFIO member. His brother Charles was a communist activist. Two Freemasons are buried opposite each other. Albert Baert a renowned architect built Lille’s municipal baths. He also created the Masonic temple in Lille. Dr Charles Debierre’s grave displays Egyptian-inspired symbols. He was a medical officer professor of anatomy and a senator.
A pond attracts newts and dragonflies. Birds and bats drink from it. Finally there’s the Mac Cartan family tomb. Anthony Mac Cartan fled British repression. His granddaughter Julia Mac Cartan Delannoy is General Charles de Gaulle’s grandmother.
Cimeti`ere Chaptal. A beautiful place. A place of reflection. A place that tells stories. Lille’s history unfolds before you here.