Cemetery of Montfort-l'Amaury, Gothic cemetery in Montfort-l'Amaury, France.
The cemetery of Montfort-l'Amaury is enclosed by covered galleries forming a cloister, with south and north wings from the 16th century and an east wing from the 17th century, classified as historic monuments in 1875. Round arches spring from square stone piers with molded capitals, and small circular openings pierce the wall above. The open-air burial ground is laid out in terraces, the highest being the most recent, and is entered through a Gothic gate.
The cemetery was moved from around the church in the 16th century to a site between Rue Saint-Nicolas, Rue Amaury and the Ruelle des Fossés. Its covered galleries served as a charnel house; the south and north galleries date from the 16th century, the east gallery from the 17th. The cloister was classified as a historic monument by the 1875 list.
The galleries served as a charnel house, and several families built projecting chapels into them; the Biancour chapel in the north gallery holds the graves of Charles de Biancour, deputy of Seine-et-Oise, and his son Félix, prefect of Ardèche and Allier, buried at the foot of its altar. A bust of Maurice Ravel, who lived in Montfort-l'Amaury, stands along the enclosure.
The burial ground is organized across several levels connected by pathways and stairs. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear as the ground can be uneven, and it helps to understand the layout before exploring the different sections.
The north gallery holds the chapel of the Biancour family, where the deputy Charles de Biancour (1762-1837) and his son Félix, prefect of the Ardèche, lie beneath the altar. The south and north galleries date from the 16th century, the east gallery from the 17th.
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