Cimetière du Montparnasse

I went to the Montparnasse Cemetery before class the other day. It was planned by Napoleon to replace the old, cramped small cemeteries within the old city due to hazard health conditions a the turn of the 19th century. Like most French cemeteries it is divided into rigidly align paths forming blocks. It was opened in 1824 and is now the resting place of many famous personalities.

In the center is a statue called Génie du Sommeil Eternal - meaning the angel of eternal sleep, created in 1902 by Horace Daillion.

We stopped by and saw the graves of the famous existentialist couple, leaders of the post-war literary scene, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir - who are buried together.

 This is a moss covered grave that I thought was understated and unique, it isn't anyone famous but it is simple and beautiful. The other photo is of a sculpture in lieu of a headstone.

 This is Sergre Gainsbourg's grave, decorated with flowers, photographs, and other trinkets left by fans.

 We also saw Charles Baudelaire's cenotaph - a monument to the great poet and critic who died in 1867, author of the Flowers of Evil.