If you’re familiar with the Montmartre Cemetery near Place de Clichy, the Saint-Vincent-de-Montmartre Cemetery, perched on the hill, is much quieter and more intimate. Hidden from view, yet so close to the Lapin Agile, it’s often free of tourists and lets the 900 Montmartrois laid to rest there do so in peace. For this is the defining feature of the place: only those who lived in Montmartre, or who were a notable figure tied to it, can be buried there.
Opened in 1831, it replaced the Calvary Cemetery which had become too small, before it too grew narrow and closed. It reopens when Montmartre becomes a Parisian commune in 1860, previously a village outside the capital. It bears the name of the patron saint of winemakers, fittingly so since near the vineyards that you can glimpse by stepping back, just behind the cemetery walls. Reserved for perpetual concessions, it houses the tombs of prominent families in the district and artists who left their mark on Montmartre.
Among them are Théophile Steinlen (and his Chat Noir), Maurice Utrillo, Eugène Boudin, Marcel Aymé, or more recently Michou! A thriving nexus of artists and locals that deepens the village-like feel of the place: it’s like witnessing a gathering of old friends who still keep watch over the hill.
The entrance is up at the Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro station, almost invisible unless you’re looking for it. Built on the hillside, the cemetery is, like Montmartre itself, very steep, so tread carefully when visiting in wet weather.
The tranquility there runs deep, in an intimate atmosphere, despite the tourist buzz around the hill and the nearby points of interest. You can also catch a glimpse of the Sacré-Cœur from the cemetery’s lower end.
Location
Saint-Vincent de Montmartre Cemetery
6 Rue Lucien Gaulard
75018 Paris 18
Prices
Free
