- Duration
- 1 hour
- Product Type
- Lecture
- Venues
- Père Lachaise
Lecture Details
Photos & Highlights
- Presented by the same world-class experts as our walking tours, Context Lectures highlight must-see attractions, reveal hidden landmarks, and explore the best things to do during your trip so you don’t miss a thing.
Lecture Description
The largest cemetery in Paris, and certainly one of the most beautiful resting places in the world, Père Lachaise is a true open air sculpture museum. Explore the fascinating history of the cemetery, meet its most famous residents, learn about funerary art, and enjoy deliciously gruesome anecdotes told by a French art historian.
Meet Your Expert
Anaïs Grateau is a French art historian now living in the US. She graduated from Ecole du Louvre and worked as a curatorial assistant and as a docent for Context in Paris for many years. After moving to Pittsburgh in 2015, she taught art history, designing classes reflecting her areas of interest and expertise: modern and contemporary art, the representation of imaginary creatures in art as well as the depiction of death in painting and sculpture. She is now the Preservation Coordinator for Archives and Special Collections at the University of Pittsburgh.
Created in 1804, Père Lachaise is way more than a cemetery and the everlasting home of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Frédéric Chopin. It is also one of the most atmospheric and eerie places to visit while in the French capital. In this lecture, we will start with a brief history of funeral practices in France and a presentation of the circumstances that led to the creation of this burial site of a completely new kind. Indeed, for the first time in history, a graveyard became a place of promenade, where the living and the dead could coexist in harmony. While we will of course have a look at some of the most visited graves in the cemetery, we will also examine common funerary iconography and see how it tells us incredible stories about those who lie beneath.
Led by an expert in art history and Parisian monuments, Anaïs Grateau, this lecture will explore the history of Père Lachaise and discuss some of its most remarkable tombstones. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of funerary art and architecture in Paris.
How do I access the lecture?
Once you complete your purchase, you will receive an email with a link to stream the lecture on the Context Travel website. You can also access your past purchases anytime under My Orders. Please ensure you are logged into your account to open the streaming page.
Is closed captioning (i.e. subtitles) available?
Yes! All of our lectures have the option to turn on closed captioning should you have difficulty hearing the expert.
How long does each event last?
Our recorded lectures typically run for 60 minutes.
How can I share this lecture with friends or family?
You are welcome to watch together with friends or family but each person viewing on their own device will need to purchase the lecture individually.
How long does my access to the lecture last?
Once you purchase a lecture, you are welcome to view it as many times as you like and your access does not expire.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
Sales for recorded lectures are final upon purchase. Please contact us at digital@contexttravel.com if you have any questions or concerns about your purchase.
Can I purchase a gift card for a friend who is traveling?
Absolutely! Gift cards can be purchased here. Gift cards are good for 365 days from the date of purchase.
13 Reviews
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Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
I've been a constant visitor to France but never managed to get to the cemetery. But the passion and Anais Grateau's intimacy with the site gave it a great energy. I liked the graves she selected that had an historic and above all, artistic context.
Anonymous
Dec. 26, 2020
This class was totally detailed, expertly presented. Anais Grateau so professional. I could watch again and again.
Phyllis
Sep. 27, 2020
Informative, enjoyable, but wish there had been more on the Holocaust memorials and how they came to be their own section, inclusion of memorials to the plane crashes, and inclusion of the Communards' Wall.
Tamera
Sep. 26, 2020
