Paris announced in November a lottery with a surprise win – instead of a cash prize, participants will receive the chance to be buried in one of the French capital’s most famous cemeteries.
The unusual plan aims to restore graves that are in poor condition while also giving Parisians a rare chance to secure one of the sought-after spots, the city hall said in a statement.
Cemeteries within the city limits have been nearly full since the early 20th century, and clearing the abandoned graves is complicated by local regulations, officials said.
But now lottery winners will be given the chance to buy and restore one of 30 tombs in three different cemeteries, with the city hall agreeing to rent the plot to those who meet certain standards.
“In recent decades, visitors to cemeteries in France have expressed interest in restoring historic funerary monuments in exchange for a plot of land,” the city hall said in a statement, CNN reported.
However, the provision of such an opportunity has been hampered by laws governing the land on which the grave is located, which is owned by the state, and concessions under which the family rents the plot for a certain period of time.
Now the city hall hopes to have found a solution by offering 10 plots in the Père Lachaise cemetery, where famous figures such as The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, playwright Oscar Wilde and singer Edith Piaf are buried.
There are also 10 plots in the Montparnasse cemetery, where writers Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Susan Sontag are buried, as well as another 10 in the Montmartre cemetery, where painter Edgar Degas, writer Émile Zola and dancer Vaslav Nijinsky are buried.
Each existing grave will be available for purchase for 4,000 euros, with the winners also having to cover the cost of restoration.
They will then be able to purchase a lease, starting at 976 euros for a 10-year contract and rising to 17,668 euros for the right to rest there in perpetuity.
Applications for the lottery will close on December 31st, with each participant having to pay a registration fee of 125 euros.
Illustrative Photo by Clement Lepetit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/peaceful-stroll-through-autumn-cemetery-29338971/
