Friday, May 09, 2008

Victimes des révolutions (Mur des Fédérés)

In my last post I put up a photo of the "Mur des Fédérés" in division 76 of Pere Lachaise cemetery. That particular part of the cemetery is dotted with monuments to the tens of thousands of deported Jews, heroes of the French resistance during World War Two and to the many of France's most famous leaders of the Left.

One of the more interesting pieces commemorating those who died during revolutions is not inside the cemetery, but in a small, largely ignored park just outside the cemetery walls, running along Avenue Gambetta.

This incredible piece of sculpture by Paul Moreau-Vauthier, who, by the way, is buried in Division 14 of Pere Lachaise.

As you exit the Pere Lachaise metro, you'll see the cemetery walls bear to the left as you cross the street and walk up Avenue Gambetta for about 100m or so and you'll see the entrance to the little "jardin" on your right; just walk in and follow the cemetery wall for about another 50m or so and you'll see this incredible bit of sculpture.



2 comments:

samarkeolog said...

Thanks for the directions!

I'd seen a photo of this and desperately wanted to track it down; but the guard at Pere Lachaise just kept telling me I was looking for the four Communist heads inside the cemetery.

Next time I'm in Paris...

philandru said...

Hello Steeve,

You know that this wall is not only a sculpture, but simply the rests of the real wall against which the Communards were shot, and on whom Moreau-Vathier made its sculpture (we still see tracks of bullets)! The one that we see in the 76eme division is a more recent wall.

Philippe Landru