Cimetière de la Pie

Hidden within Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, a Parisian suburb, lies the Cimetière de la Pie. This cemetery, opened in the late 1920s, is a sprawling grid of pathways and plots. Cimetière de la Pie is divided into twenty-two sections. These sections are separated by right-angled alleys. The Cimetière de la Pie may not house ornate mausoleums like some of Paris’s grander cemeteries. But it offers a glimpse into the lives of those who rested here. A modern replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà graces one of the plots. This serves as a focal point amidst the simple headstones. This poignant statue, however, was subject to vandalism in 2008. Cimetière de la Pie also holds the remains of notable figures. Jane Chacun, known as the “queen of musette,” rests here. So does Patrick Grandperret, a film director. Fernand Sastre, the former president of the French Football Federation, is also buried at Cimetière de la Pie. His presence connects this quiet space to the excitement of French football. As you wander through the Cimetière de la Pie, consider the lives lived and the stories held within its walls. It is a place of quiet reflection, a testament to the passage of time in this tranquil corner of the Parisian suburbs.