By Jack Guy, CNN
The tomb of Jim Morrison at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris Photo: AFP / Luis Boza
The city of Paris has announced a lottery with a twist: Instead of a cash prize, entrants can instead win the chance to be buried in one of the French capital's most celebrated cemeteries.
The unusual plan aims to restore tombs that have fallen into disrepair, while also giving Paris residents a rare opportunity to secure one of the sought-after plots, the city hall said in a statement published Friday.
Cemeteries within the city walls have been almost full since the beginning of the 20th century, with the clearing of abandoned tombs complicated by local regulations, the authority explained.
But now, winners of the lottery will be granted the opportunity to buy and restore one of 30 tombs in three different cemeteries, with city hall agreeing to lease the corresponding burial plot to those who meet certain standards.
"In recent decades, cemetery visitors throughout France have expressed an interest in restoring a historic funerary monument in order to obtain a burial plot concession in return," city hall said in the statement.
However, giving them a chance to do so has been complicated by the laws governing the land on which a tomb is located, which is owned by the state, and concessions, under which a family rents the plot for a defined period of time.
The grave of Oscar Wilde at the Pere Lachaise cemetery Photo: AFP / Philippe Lopez
Now, city hall hopes to have found a solution, with 10 plots up for grabs in Père-Lachaise cemetery, which counts "The Doors" frontman Jim Morrison, playwright Oscar Wilde and singer Édith Piaf among its illustrious residents.
There are also 10 plots in Montparnasse cemetery, home to writers Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Susan Sontag, as well as 10 more in Montmartre cemetery, where painter Edgar Degas, author Émile Zola and dancer Vaslav Nijinsky are all buried.
Each existing tomb will be available to buy for €4,000 (NZ$8125), with the winners also on the hook for restoration costs.
They will then be able to buy a lease, the cost of which starts at €976 (NZ$1982) for a 10-year contract and increases to €17,668 $NZ35,890) for the right to rest there in perpetuity.
Applications to the lottery opened on Monday and will close on December 31, according to city hall, with each entrant subject to a €125 ($253) registration fee.
- CNN
