19.12.11

Levallois Cemetery



This is slightly outside Paris, but very close. We are in the suburb of Levallois (or Levallois-Perret). As we know, Paris has a very limited surface and the immediate suburbs, like this one, are somehow integrated. Levallois was created during the 19th century. It got its name from who can be considered as its creator, Eugène Levallois, whose tomb can be found at the local cemetery.

Visiting the cemetery, you can find the tombs of some illustrious people, who for different reasons have found their last rest place here.
One is Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923). His tomb,  a family grave, has the particularity that it it’s not in line with the surrounding ones; it’s facing what makes us remember him best, the Eiffel Tower (see previous posts). Although he finished his life at his home in Paris, his workshop, where e.g. the different parts of the Tower were manufactured, was situated at Levallois; it has now disappeared. The number of parts for bridges, towers… that his company built must have been amazing. This included also the inner structure of the Statue of Liberty. (In a previous post I showed where the Statue was put together.)








Maurice Ravel (1875-132) is buried here, together with his parents and brother. He spent quite some time in Levallois, where his brother had his home. Let’s listen to and watch (the last part of) “Boléro” (choreography Maurice Béjart), which he wrote rather late in his life on the request of the dancer Ida Rubinstein. Ravel wrote a lot or remarkable pieces and considered “Boléro” to be more or less a joke, 15 minutes of repetition, but it brought him (rather his heirs) a fortune - for the moment some 50 million € (68 million US$).














Louise Michel (1830-1905) was a school teacher and medical worker, but is especially known as a leading anarchist, known as the “Red Virgin of Montmartre”, active during the Paris Commune. She was deported to New Caledonia. She came back nine years later, never gave up her revolutionary ideas, manifested in many ways, always surveyed by the Police. She wanted to share her grave with her mother.

Levallois played an important role during the beginning of the motor driven taxis. One important company created in 1905, still active under the name of “G7”, was “La Compagnie Française des Automobiles de Place », created by Napoleon’s grandson (from his relation with Marie Walewska), André Walewski. Their Renaults became famous in the beginning of WWI, when hundreds of taxis brought thousands of soldiers to the front. The Levallois Cemetery includes tombs and monuments dedicated to fallen taxi drivers.

There are also some 30 Commonwealth WWI graves. The reason why they are here is the Hertford British Hospital (now  l'Institut Hospitalier Franco-Britannique), situated at Levallois and originally created thanks to a donation by Richard Wallace, especially known for the “Wallace Fountains” (see previous posts).


(I'm still in Sweden. This post is pre-programmed. Normally I should be back in time to wish you Merry Christmas!)

26 comments:

Olivier said...

je connaissais pas ce cimetiere, ou on retrouve des grands noms et une belle fontaine Wallace

Thérèse said...

Aucune idee ou etait ce cimetiere.Par contre j'aime beaucoup l'ambiance de Levallois, son marche et ses commerces. Beaucoup de personalite.
Bonne fin de sejour en Suede Peter!

daijoji said...

But you can be here, in Poland.

Owen said...

Yet another place I wasn't familiar with, thank goodness you are out and about, to show us the way... After the Russian cemetery, will have to stop by and pay homage to Gustave...

Happy Holidays Peter !

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Interesting!

Cezar and Léia said...

Very interesting entrance there and I like that bell.I'm always enchanted by bells! :)
Great pictures, and wonderful reportage in this post!
hugs
Léia

Alain said...

Eiffel, Ravel, Louise Michel...une réunion inattendue.

Adam said...

I'm planning a post of my own on Levallois this week...!

hpy said...

C'est gai!

Studio at the Farm said...

Peter, what an absolutely fascinating post! I am surprised at the money generated by "Bolero" [I quite like that piece of music] Thank you again for the most interesting blog.

Maria O Russell said...

That first photo looks like a painting. So beautiful!

Ravel´s music and Bejart´s choreography, who could ask for more? What a treat, Peter.

Thank you.

jj said...

God Jul & Gott Nytt År

claude said...

Moi non plus, je ne connaissais pas ce Cimetière. Encore un endroit où reposent des célébrités.
Très beau monument sur la première photo.
Merry Christmas, Peter !

Foto Bugil said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Prekdut said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Video Bugil said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Cerita Dewasa said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
PeterParis said...

I deleted four comments which to me appeared as spams.

Cergie said...

Si c'est ton message spécial Noël, je suis déçue !
Le bolero c'est vraiment une scie !
On trouve les même dalles britanniques dans le cimetière chinois de Noyelles sur Mer.

Joyeux Noël Peter !!!
See you soon !

Cergie said...

(Mais qchose me dit que tu as récupéré une connexion, serais tu rentré à Paris ?)
Bises !

Starman said...

As usual, very well researched.

Paris Paul said...

Thanks, Peter! I don't know this cemetery so I appreciate your taking the time to explore it and tempting me to take a visit!

Virginia said...

Oh the spammers are out in force this week aren't they!

Peter, this is yet another site in Paris I've not visited but feel as though I have as you're text and photographs take us all there right along with you. Nice, the music.
V

PS Hope your trip back to Sweden was a good one.

Parisbreakfasts said...

you are obsedee with cimetiere like me & RED!!
Still interesting historically one must admit...

La Petite Gallery said...

Peter, wishing you a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New year.
I have enjoyed your posts, be
safe and well.

yvonne

Trotter said...

Great post! And Béjart is the cherry on top...