Paris is offering—on a trial basis so far—a chance to buy a used grave in a famous cemetery, possibly near a famous ‘permanent Parisian,’ in return for repair and upkeep of the existing monuments.
Thirty sites, long-abandoned by families and descendants, were offered in a drawing. Winners are to pay €4000 plus the cost of repairing and maintaining the existing monument. In return, they will have the right to a lease on the grave when they die, presumably adding a marker of their own.
The lottery for the 30 sites offered—10 each in Pere Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse cemeteries—opened with over a thousand clicks on the registration form in the first day. The lottery closes December 31. The application requires price quotes from a qualified stonemason to prove that applicants know how much is involved.
Re-using cemetery space is nothing new in Paris; gravesites come with a lease for anywhere from 10 years to perpetuity, at prices ranging from around €1000 for ten years to nearly €18,000 for perpetual rest. The city says that there’s an ecological interest in re-use, and if the trial is successful, well, there are a lot more that could be available.
