Picpus Cemetery, Private cemetery in 12th arrondissement, France
Picpus Cemetery is a private burial ground entered at 35 rue de Picpus in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. Its chapel, Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, has a light beige stone facade with a central pediment, two smooth columns above a blue double door, an oval window and a green copper cupola with a clock and cross. A gravel courtyard with a low stone wall and a stone well leads to the chapel; behind it, two grass-covered common pits are enclosed by walls.
The cemetery was founded in 1794 when authorities seized land from an Augustinian convent to bury victims of the guillotine. This site became a place of mourning for families who lost loved ones during the Reign of Terror.
The name Picpus probably comes from pique-puce, "flea-bite", after monks who treated skin sores resembling flea bites. The cemetery is next to the chapel Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, which holds a 15th-century Vierge de la Paix credited with curing Louis XIV on 16 August 1658. Since 1805 the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts have kept a memorial service for the victims and their executioners.
The cemetery is open only in the afternoon, 2 pm to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday; it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The entrance is at 35 rue de Picpus in the 12th arrondissement. The garden and its burial pits are enclosed by a wall, and the chapel stands at the entrance to the complex.
General Lafayette is buried here beneath an American flag, making it the only permanent location in Paris displaying the United States flag. This unusual honor recognizes his role in both the American and French revolutions.
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