La Vie Secrete D Un Cimetiere

More about the book

Every city and village has its cemetery. But with its 43 hectares, Père-Lachaise in Paris is the site of all superlatives. It is the largest green space within the city and the most visited cemetery in the world. Among its approximately 70,000 graves are those of Molière, Jean de La Fontaine, Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and many other celebrities. Benoît Gallot, the site's curator, lives at Père-Lachaise with his wife and children. He tirelessly walks its paths lined with 4,000 trees of 80 different species. He learns to recognize the sixty species of birds that nest there. One evening in April 2020, during the pandemic, he has an unusual encounter: a ball of red fur escapes from a bush. Foxes in the heart of the capital! He begins to take photos of the local wildlife and flora. His Instagram account takes off. Messages and questions multiply. So Benoît Gallot decides to write this book to tell the secret life of a cemetery, sharing his daily experiences that are sometimes unusual, poignant, or surprising. He pays tribute to the guardians, gravediggers, road workers, and other unsung heroes who work to ensure that, on All Saints' Day, visitors only need to change the water in the flower vases.