Cimetière Saint-Jean, Natural heritage cemetery in Caen, France.

Cimetière Saint-Jean occupies a former open-air quarry of Caen stone in Vaucelles, across the Orne from the old parish of Saint-Jean. Its entrance is a tall green metal gate with an arched crest, set between two weathered stone pillars bearing carved circular medallions. Inside, a reddish gravel path leads to the central calvary, surrounded by the recumbent effigies of the parish priests.

The cemetery was established in 1780 following a Norman Parliament decree ordering burial grounds to relocate outside Caen due to urban space constraints. This decision reshaped the city's approach to managing burial locations within its expanding boundaries.

The cemetery holds graves of notable local figures, including archaeologist Arcisse de Caumont and circus director Pierre Claude Loyal. These resting places reflect the importance of this site in the community's memory and identity.

The site is easily walkable with good pathways connecting different sections of the burial grounds. Visiting during daylight hours provides better visibility of the monuments and grave markers throughout the grounds.

The central calvary, blessed on 13 March 1870, stands where the parish's first calvary was erected in the 18th century. It is the work of Yves Hernot, father and son. Around it are arranged the recumbent effigies of the parish priests of Saint-Jean.