Montmartre in Paris in Département de Paris, Île-de-France, France — Western Europe

Cimetière Montmartre (1825)

Cimetière Montmartre Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 7, 2025

1. Cimetière Montmartre Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Le cimetière de Montmartre a été aménagé sur un ancien enclos funéraire, dit Champ du repos. Ce dernier, ouvert dès 1798 sur des carrières de plâtre abandonnées, est rapidement saturé. De gros travaux de nivellement et un agrandissement sont opérés sous la Restauration. Il devient alors le troisième cimetière en superficie (10,48 ha) de Paris après les cimetières du Père Lachaise et de Montparnasse. Blotti à flanc de la Butte Montmartre, il offre tout le long de ses 20 m de dénivelé, une vue remarquable sur la capitale. 21500 sépultures y sont rassemblées à l'ombre de presque 800 arbres et du pont Caulaincourt depuis 1888.

Ce cimetière constitue un important refuge urbain pour la faune et la flore sauvages favorisées par l'arrêt de l'utilisation de désherbants chimiques depuis 2015.

(English translation:)
The Montmartre Cemetery was established on the site of a former burial ground, known as the Champ du Repos (“Field of Repose”). This ground, opened in 1798 on abandoned gypsum quarries, quickly became overcrowded. Extensive leveling and expansion work was carried out during

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the Restoration period. It then became the third largest cemetery in Paris (10.48 hectares) after Père Lachaise and Montparnasse. Nestled on the slopes of Montmartre, it offers a remarkable view of the capital along its 20-meter incline. 21,500 graves are gathered there in the shade of nearly 800 trees and the Caulaincourt Bridge, a distinction it has held since 1888.

This cemetery constitutes an important urban refuge for wild fauna and flora, a benefit fostered by the cessation of the use of chemical herbicides since 2015.

Erected by Ville de Paris.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. In addition, it is included in the Parks and Squares of Paris series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1798.

Location. 48° 53.123′ N, 2° 19.861′ E. Marker is in Paris, Île-de-France, in Département de Paris. It is in Montmartre. It is on Avenue Rachel, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Paris, Île-de-France 75018, France. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

Europe,

the European Union,

Atlantic Europe,

the Schengen Area,

Western Europe,

a coastal Mediterranean country,

and the Western World.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a French colony

and also the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Le cimetiere Montmartre (a few steps from this marker); Le Gaumont-Palace illuminé la nuit (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); L’Hippo-Palace (about 120 meters away); Bernard-Marie Koltès

Cimetière Montmartre Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 7, 2025

2. Cimetière Montmartre Marker - wide view

The marker is visible here to the left of the entrance gate.

(about 120 meters away); Raymond Souplex (about 120 meters away); Le boulevard de Clichy sous le neige (about 150 meters away); Copi (about 150 meters away); L’hôtel du comte d’Escalopier / Count Escalopier’s Mansion (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Paris.

Also see . . . Montmartre Cemetery (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

In the mid-18th century, overcrowding in the cemeteries of Paris had created numerous problems, from impossibly high funeral costs to unsanitary living conditions in the surrounding neighborhoods. In the 1780s, the Cimetière des Innocents was officially closed and citizens were banned from burying corpses within the city limits of Paris. During the early 19th century, new cemeteries were constructed outside the precincts of the capital: Montmartre in the north, Père Lachaise Cemetery in the east, Passy Cemetery in the west and Montparnasse Cemetery in the south.

The Montmartre Cemetery was opened on 1 January 1825. It was initially known as le Cimetière des Grandes Carrières (Cemetery of the Large Quarries). The name referenced the cemetery's unique location, in an abandoned gypsum quarry. The quarry had previously been used during the French
circa 1905

3. Cimetière Montmartre entrance ca. 1905
Revolution as a mass grave. It was built below street level, in the hollow of an abandoned gypsum quarry located west of the Butte near the beginning of Rue Caulaincourt in Place de Clichy. As is still the case today, its sole entrance was constructed on Avenue Rachel under Rue Caulaincourt.

A popular tourist destination, Montmartre Cemetery is the final resting place of many famous artists who lived and worked in the Montmartre area.

(Submitted on November 22, 2025.)

Caulaincourt Bridge and the Cimetière Montmartre (looking north) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by A.f., circa 1905

4. Caulaincourt Bridge and the Cimetière Montmartre (looking north)

The cemetery entrance and marker would be in the lower right corner, just out of the picture. Visible in the background are the Moulin de la Galette (left) and the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre (right).

Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 22, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 3. submitted on November 22, 2025. 4. submitted on November 22, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.