Various famous personalities, from Oscar Wilde and Simone de Beauvoir to Émile Zola and Jim Morrison, have been buried in different cemeteries of Paris, such as Père Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse. Millions of tourists from home and abroad flock there year-round as these cemeteries have gradually become popular tourist destinations.

The Municipality of Paris recently issued a statement, mentioning that many contacted the concerned authorities after visiting the cemeteries, asking whether they could help in the maintenance of these heritage sites. However, it is not possible for the administrative body of the city of Paris to receive private donations for the maintenance of cemeteries because of the existing municipal laws. Hence, the authorities had to reject such offers even from the billionaires.

Instead, the municipal authorities have come out with a novel solution to this issue as they have launched a unique lottery scheme to offer the Parisians a chance to be buried next to famous personalities. Reports suggest that the lottery winners would restore the ancient funerary monument they would purchase within six months, with the new design “faithful to the original“. The Paris Council has issued a notice, stating that the scheme “presents a compromise” between respecting the dead and giving residents a chance to be buried within the city.

Interestingly, the Parisians would have to bear a hefty cost for getting the chance to be buried next to the famous persons. As per the notice issued by the Paris Council, each existing tomb would be available to purchase for EUR 4,000, plus restoration costs. Then, burial plots would be leased for a fixed term or in perpetuity. A burial plot would set buyers back EUR 976 for a 10-year lease; EUR 3,354 for 30 years; EUR 5,260 for 50 years and EUR 17,668 for perpetuity.

Talking to the media, Paul Simondon, a Deputy to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, stressed that candidates would have to provide quotes from specialised stonemasons “to demonstrate that they are aware of the cost of the renovation, so there are no surprises”. At the same time, he admitted that the price tags and conditions were yet to spook Parisians. “Within the first 24 hours we had 1,000 clicks on the application forms,” added Simondon.

Cemeteries within the city walls of Paris have been almost full since the beginning of the 20th Century. As a result, it is almost impossible for most Parisians to be buried in those cemeteries. They have no other option, but to leave the city after spending their entire lives in Paris. According to the municipal authorities, renovations could create spaces for at least 10 new graves in each cemetery. The funds required to carry out renovation works and to maintain the existing graves would be raised through the lottery. Those who win the lottery would secure their places in those cemeteries.

Meanwhile, the Parisians would have to select a space for their burials from a list that includes the tombs of Jim Morrison, Sarah Bernhardt, Molière, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf (at Père-Lachaise), Charles Baudelaire, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Sontag, Agnès Varda (at Montparnasse), Edgar Degas, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Alexandre Dumas, François Truffaut and Émile Zola (at Montmartre). The applications are open until December 31, 2025 and the Paris Council would announce 30 winners in January 2026.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das