What do celebrated composer Frdric Chopin, acclaimed author Marcel Proust, and legendary rock musician Jim Morrison have in common? They are all interred in the historic Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, which serves as a final resting place for numerous iconic figures. In his new book, The Secret Life of a Cemetery, Benot Gallot, the enthusiastic head conservator of Pre Lachaise since 2018, invites readers to explore the rich tapestry of history that this revered burial ground embodies. This compact yet informative volume is filled with fascinating anecdotes, quirky facts, and the profound significance of the cemetery's 110 acres.

Pre Lachaise, an open-air mausoleum, attracts an astounding 10,000 visitors each day, all eager to pay their respects to approximately 4,500 notable graves scattered throughout its grounds. Gallot affectionately refers to this sacred space as a five-star hotel for all eternity, where the most visited gravesite belongs to Jim Morrison, the enigmatic frontman of The Doors. Morrison's final resting place has become a pilgrimage site since his untimely death at the age of 27 in 1971. Among the other high-profile tombs that draw crowds are those of celebrated French singer dith Piaf, composer Frdric Chopin, literary giant Marcel Proust, and playwright Honor de Balzac. Oscar Wildes gravesite also garners significant attention, largely due to its unique funerary statuea sphinx with castrated stone testicleswhich sparked public outcry upon its unveiling years after Wilde's death. Gallot humorously mentions that a rumor suggests these testicles were removed by offended English women, while another persistent myth claims they've been used as paperweights by cemetery conservators.

Given the sheer volume of visitors, security has become a paramount concern for the cemeterys management. Morrisons grave, for instance, attracted such a fervent following that it required the installation of a protective fence in 2004 to curb what Gallot describes as unrestrained revelry. In a bizarre twist, visitors have also taken to sticking chewing gum on a nearby tree, prompting the installation of protective bamboo around it.

However, Gallot emphasizes that while Pre Lachaise dazzles tourists, filmmakers, and taphophilesindividuals fascinated with epitaphsit remains primarily a functioning cemetery, serving as a place of solace for grieving families. The cemetery sees approximately 3,000 new occupants each year, with nearly 2,000 of them being cremated at its in-house crematorium. These cremated remains are either placed in niches within the columbarium or scattered on designated areas like the Memorial Green, which has been set aside for that purpose. The remaining bodies are interred in family tombs or in rare plots that become available when concessionsplots purchased for specific time periodsexpire. This concession system was established by Napoleon I in 1804, replacing the unhygienic practice of piling bodies in churchyards that had been common in Paris for centuries. Gallot describes these mass graves as macabre mille-feuilles, highlighting their grim nature.

Originally named the Cemetery of the East when it opened in 1804, Pre Lachaise was the first cemetery to comply with Napoleon's new regulations. The cemetery was designed by architect Alexandre-Thodore Brongniart, who thoughtfully integrated the natural landscape of the Charonne hillside, a decision that would later inspire a wave of rural cemeteries across France. Over time, it became widely known simply as Pre Lachaise and has since undergone five expansions, the latest occurring in 1850. Today, it is home to approximately 1.3 million remains alongside 4,000 trees, creating a unique blend of nature and history.

As I delved into Gallot's insider perspective, I initially hoped for a narrative akin to Patrick Bringleys All the Beauty in the World, which provides a delightful behind-the-scenes look at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, while Gallot's writing may lack the lyrical quality of Bringley's memoir, it effectively captures the practicalities of managing such an iconic institution rather than its ethereal spirit.

Gallot comes from a family of gravestone masons in the quaint village of Bray-sur-Seine. Despite being trained in law, he humorously recounts how his friends teased him when he took on his first role in the death care industry as assistant general counsel for the City of Paris Division of Cemeteries, quipping, Youre digging your own grave, man! Nevertheless, he expresses pride in the diverse responsibilities that come with his role and fondly mentions raising his four children on the vibrant cemetery grounds, which he describes as an open-air museum teeming with beautiful statues, effigies, busts, and mausoleums.

Gallot is particularly enthusiastic about the positive changes that have taken place since the ban on pesticides in 2015. This initiative has transformed Pre Lachaise into more than just a cemetery; it has emerged as a sanctuary of biodiversity, fostering local flora, insects, and even mammals. During the pandemic, Gallot began sharing photographs capturing the cemetery's hidden lifefox kits, cats, stone martens, and various bird specieson Instagram, creating quite a stir. Many of these images are included in the English edition of his book, albeit in black and white. The French version, which features full-color photographs and an annotated site map, is notably more charming.

With a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, Gallot jokingly mused about the possibility of placing a QR code on his grave linked to his Instagram account, allowing people to continue to like him even after death. Such graveyard humor encapsulates the light-hearted approach he takes toward his role at one of the worlds most famous cemeteries.

Heller McAlpin has been reviewing books for NPR since 2009, providing insights into literature and culture.