Cimetière de Gentilly, Cemetery in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, France
The cimetière de Gentilly is a cemetery in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, situated near the Périphérique along Rue de Sainte-Hélène and nearby streets such as Rue Louis-Pergaud and Avenue Caffieri. It is surrounded by a mix of residential buildings and the modern towers of the Italie 13 district, giving it an urban setting that stands apart from the more central Paris cemeteries.
The cemetery was originally intended to serve the community of Gentilly, before that area became part of Paris. In 1925, when Paris took over an adjacent former military zone, the boundary shifted and the cemetery came under the administration of the 13th arrondissement.
Many families come here on personal occasions to tend to graves, leaving flowers or small tokens as a gesture of remembrance. The grave markers range from plain stones to ones with carved busts or reliefs, reflecting the different kinds of people who lived in this part of Paris.
The main entrance is on Rue de Sainte-Hélène and is easy to reach from the local street network. The grounds are best visited in the morning or early afternoon, and can be busier on days that coincide with public holidays.
This cemetery appears in a novel called Melchior en automne, suggesting it served as a backdrop for writers even though it is little known today. Several members of the French Resistance from World War II are buried here, their stories remembered locally but rarely documented elsewhere.
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