The French capital has announced the launch of a lottery, the main prize of which will not be a cash prize, but the right to be buried in one of the most famous cemeteries in Paris.
As explained by the city hall, the initiative aims to restore abandoned tombs and, at the same time, provide city residents with a rare opportunity to secure a prestigious burial place for the future.
The city council recalled that cemeteries within Paris have been almost completely filled since the beginning of the 20th century. That work to clean and arrange abandoned graves is often complicated by current regulations.
This time, the winners of the lottery will be able to purchase and restore one of 30 ancient tombs in three cemeteries: Père-Lachaise, Montparnasse, and Montmartre. The city hall has agreed to lease such plots to those who meet the established criteria.
However, the implementation of such a project is hampered by legal restrictions: the land where the graves are located is state-owned, and families can only rent a plot for a limited period.
So far, the city authorities are offering 10 places in the Père Lachaise cemetery – where Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Edith Piaf are buried, another 10 in Montparnasse, where Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Susan Sontag are buried, and 10 in Montmartre, famous for the graves of Edgar Degas, Émile Zola, and Vaslav Nijinsky.
The cost of each available tomb is 4,000 euros, not including restoration costs. After that, the winners will be able to arrange a lease from 976 euros for a ten-year contract to 17,668 euros for an indefinite resting place.
Applications for participation in the lottery will be accepted until December 31. A registration fee of 125 euros is required.