Père Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cemetery of the East) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (44 hectares or 110 acres). nPère Lachaise is notable for being the first garden cemetery, as well as the first municipal cemetery in Paris. It is also the site of three World War I memorials. The cemetery of Père Lachaise opened in 1804 and is still an operating cemetery and accepting new burials. The grave sites at Père Lachaise range from a simple, unadorned headstone to towering monuments and even elaborate mini chapels dedicated to the memory of a well-known person or family. Many of the tombs are about the size and shape of a telephone booth, with just enough space for a mourner to step inside, kneel to say a prayer, and leave some flowers.