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Origin and history

The tomb of Prosper Mérimée (1803–70), located at the Grand Jas cemetery in Cannes, is a remarkable funeral monument of the second half of the 19th century. Suffering from asthma, Mérimée died on 23 September 1870 during a cure in Cannes, where he had been a regular since 1858. He was buried in this cemetery, inaugurated in 1866, in the eastern district (6th aisle, no. 87). The concession, bought in 1871 by his British friend Frances Lagden (1796–79) — which also rests there — is distinguished by his arch Tudor, symbol of their common attachment to England. The white marble tombstone bears an inscription from Psalm 4 (King James Bible, 1611), reflecting their Anglican culture.

The burial, sober and without religious sign, was initially without a medallion. It was only affixed in 1932, thanks to the committee of the Friends of Merimée: a bronze reproducing the plaster of Alexander Munro (1868), also a sick British sculptor, who had made one of the last portraits of the writer. An additional tribute was paid in 1970 for the centenary of his death, with the inauguration of a stele-effigy to the Merimée Square, bearing a reproduction of the medallion. The tomb, owned by the commune, is inscribed in the Historic Monuments on June 7, 2019, recognizing its heritage and memorial importance.

Prosper Mérimée, academician and man of letters, had chosen Cannes for his therapeutic stays, investing in local life (urban projects, heritage) while maintaining links with Paris. His death occurred shortly after his last trip to the capital, where he tried to influence the fate of Empress Eugénie during the fall of the Second Empire. The Grand Jas Cemetery, created to welcome the resorters — including Lord Brougham, pioneer of Cannois tourism as early as 1834 — embodies this time when Cannes became a popular destination, mixing European elites and urban development.

The original plaster medallion, made by Munro in 1868, was offered to two close friends of Mérimée: Oleg Tripet-Skrypitzine and his doctor, Dr Gimbert. In 1870, a votive plaque was placed on his Cannois residence (Sicard House), and a bust, never finished in marble, was transferred to the municipal library after decades of forgetfulness. These elements illustrate the contrasting posterity of Mérimée in Cannes, between discreet tributes and late recognition, culminating with the inscription of the tomb as a historical monument.

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