The Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, known as the final resting place of cultural icons, is offering a unique opportunity for fans. People can now enter a lottery to secure burial plots near legends such as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Frédéric Chopin.
Thirty gravestones from these cemeteries are currently in need of repair and are being sold for €4,000 (about $4,500). Buyers must not only purchase these gravestones but also restore them and acquire the adjacent burial plot.
“Offering eternal rest next to the stars is a compromise, Paris city officials say, that both respects the dead and lets residents be buried within the city, where there is very little room remaining for graves.”
The lottery to select buyers will be held in January due to high demand for these coveted spots.
This initiative balances respect for historic sites with the city's limited space by allowing people to be buried near famous figures through a lottery system.
Author's summary: The Paris cemeteries are launching a lottery to sell burial plots near famous icons, requiring buyers to restore neglected graves and address the scarcity of space within the city.