Paris residents can win cemetery spots beside Jim Morrison-Oscar Wilde
What's the story
The city of Paris has launched a unique lottery offering residents the chance to win burial plots in its historic cemeteries. The initiative aims to restore dilapidated tombs and provide space in overcrowded cemeteries. Winners will get the chance to purchase and restore one of 30 tombs across three famous cemeteries: Pere-Lachaise, Montparnasse, and Montmartre.
Pricing
How much is the cost?
Each existing tomb is priced at €4,000 (approximately ₹4 lakh), with winners responsible for restoration costs. They can also purchase a lease for the burial plot, starting at €976 (₹99K) for a 10-year contract and going up to €17,668 (₹18 lakh) for perpetual rights. The lottery is open only to Paris residents who can apply until December 31 by paying a registration fee of €125 (₹12K).
Cemeteries
Historic figures buried there
The cemeteries are home to some of history's most famous figures. Pere-Lachaise is the final resting place of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Edith Piaf. Montparnasse houses Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Susan Sontag, while Montmartre is the burial ground for Edgar Degas, Emile Zola, and Vaslav Nijinsky.
Space shortage
Need for burial plots
Parisian cemeteries have been nearly full since the early 20th century. Clearing abandoned tombs is complicated by local regulations and heritage site classifications. The lottery was approved by the Paris council in April as a compromise between respecting the dead and providing burial space for residents. Winners must restore purchased monuments within six months with designs faithful to originals or risk losing their money.