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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Charonne Cemetery, located in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, is one of the two smallest cemeteries in Paris, with about 650 graves spread over 41 acres. It adjoined the church of Saint-Germain-de-Charonne, of which it was originally the parish cemetery before becoming communal in 1791. Despite the decree of 1804 prohibiting burials in the city, it was preserved and enlarged in 1845 and 1859, before being integrated into Paris during the annexation of Charonne in 1860.

In 1897, work on the Charonne reservoir revealed nearly 800 skeletons of Fédérés shot in 1871, buried in mass graves. These remains were rebuked without epitaph, but a plaque today commemorates these events. The cemetery, which was listed as a historic monument in 1964, also houses the classified tomb of François Bègue, known as Father Magloire (1750–37), as well as those of controversial figures such as Robert Brasillach or Maurice Bardèche.

Characterized by its peaceful atmosphere and its feline population, the Charonne cemetery remains a place full of history, both witness to the Parisian revolts and refuge for personalities with contrasting paths. His administration is now linked to that of Father Lachaise, another emblematic cemetery in the capital.

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