Cimetière des Capucins, Cemetery in Bourges, France
The Cimetière des Capucins is a cemetery in the center of Bourges, France, built on the grounds of a former Capuchin convent. It is made up of two sections: the older western part and an eastern extension added in 1827.
The cemetery was founded in 1792 to replace the smaller burial grounds scattered across the city, on land taken from a Capuchin convent that had been seized and demolished by the state. It quickly became too small for the growing population, which led to the opening of the nearby Saint-Lazare cemetery in 1836.
The cemetery entrance faces the Rue de Sarrebourg, reached through a small alley called the Impasse Saint-Martin. Morning or late afternoon are good times to visit, when the light comes through the trees more softly.
The cemetery holds a bust of a local financial officer named Georges Hecq, sculpted by Auguste Rodin, which is a rare find in a provincial town burial ground. There is also a column decorated with symbols sometimes linked to freemasonry, though the connection remains unclear since the most recognizable emblems are not visible on it.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
