The Paris Dog Cemetery

There are several pet cemeteries around the world now, but the Cimetière des Chiens (Paris Dog Cemetery) is thought to be the first one. Opened in 1899, the cemetery was built out of necessity because a new law forbade residents from "throwing dead beasts into the woods, rivers, ponds, roadsides or from burying them in stables," according to author Laurent Lasne's 1988 book about the cemetery, "Island for Dogs." The cemetery is located in a suburb just outside of Paris, Asnières-sur-Seine, reachable by métro. Coming out of the métro, you are in a working class area with a mostly north African population. The cemetery has a peaceful setting above the Seine and is surrounded by a stone wall and an Art Nouveau portal with intricate grill work.

 

 

Entrance to the dog cemetery

 

Rules and regulations for the cemetery

 

 

A short history of the dog cemetery

 

 

Monument to Barry, the Saint Bernard

The monument right inside the entrance to the cemetery is a statue of Barry, a World War I Saint Bernard rescue dog from the Hospice du Grand St-Bernard in the Alps. The earliest written records of the St. Bernard breed are from monks at the hospice. Interestingly, the dogs at the hospice never received any special training from the monks. Instead, younger dogs would learn how to perform search and rescue operations from older dogs.

 

The inscription says: "He saved the lives of 40 people. He was killed by the 41st."

Not on purpose. The child on Barry's back in the statue is the 41st. As soon as he got this child to safety, he died of exhaustion. Oddly enough, Barry is not buried in the Cimetière des Chiens--he was stuffed and is exhibited in the Swiss Natural History Museum in Bern.

A view of the length of the cemetery

 

 

Long rows of grave stones

 

 

A view of the cemetery toward the entrance

Although it’s technically called Cimetière des Chiens, or “cemetery of dogs,” it’s not limited to canine burials. In addition to the dogs buried here, you’ll also find graves for cats, sheep, rabbits, horses and monkeys, among other animals. In total, more than 40,000 pets have been buried at the cemetery since it was opened.

 

“Peter, my adored little rabbit”

 

 

A monument to Faust, the sheep

    

 Kiki, the monkey

“To our dear baby, Kiki. We’ll never forget you.”

 

Unlike human cemeteries, many of the tombstones have photos of the pets, and some have very elaborate, carved stone statues. Overall, the most striking feature of the cemetery is the expressions of love lavished on the graves by the owners. If you have ever lost a beloved pet, you immediately feel connected to the outpouring of sentiment expressed on the grave stones.

Jupiter

"Love of our life"

 

 

Marble cat sculpture

 

Pompon

I had heard that a number of feral cats lived in the cemetery, so I brought a bag of cat treats with me. Pompon is the one and only cat that I saw there, and he must not have been particularly hungry because as soon as he saw me, he took off without further adieu.

 While I was visiting the cemetery, I met a “Cat Lady” who was visiting the graves of her three cats. I had a feeling that she came to the cemetery regularly because she had been feeding Pompon as well as visiting her cats. She was very cordial but absolutely refused to let me take her photo. I gave her the cat treats to give to Pompon.

 

Her 3 cats are on this flower-covered grave. The only date I can see on the tombstone is 2002, but maybe the death of the third cat has been more recent because she still seems very upset over their loss.

 

I tried taking a photo from a distance, but she wasn’t having any of it.

 

 

Jimmy’s grave is also beautifully decorated.

 

 

Higgins and Beauty are beside each other.

There are stones on Higgins’ grave. It is a Jewish custom to place stones on a grave rather than flowers because stones will never die, like the memory of our loved ones. Maybe Higgins had a Jewish owner who will never forget him.

“To My Dear ones, Catherine and Caline”

 

 

Poupette is right beside a beagle that has a dove on his tombstone.

“To Our Otis”

 

Daisy, Bimbeau and Wandy

“To our Loving Jonion”

 “Rebecca, called Belle, Forever my Faithful Friend”

 

 

Tipsy must have been the center of the universe to his heartbroken Mama.

Alas, poor Tipsy

 In February, 2012, French police were investigating the theft of a diamond-studded dog collar from a grave in the cemetery. "The grave of a dog buried with a diamond collar worth 9,000 euros (11,700 dollars) was desecrated on the night February 4 to 5.” A wealthy American industrialist's wife buried Tipsy wearing the diamond collar in 2003. For years the legend of a dog buried with a diamond necklace had circulated in the town, but it was only after the theft that police confirmed the truth of what had been thought an urban myth.

 

 

Darius de Longchamp, an imposing name for a little black cat

 

“Darius is a kind and affectionate little cat, gifted with inordinate intelligence. He will be forever etched in our memory.”

“Here lie 100 cats placed here by the Association of the Friends of Cats of Asnieres”

“The Cat’s Prayer”

“The being that I am does not have a master

But a friend that I have chosen,

Without whom I would die of boredom.

Respect my independence,

I will show you freely with caresses

And purring that I love you.

I am not your toy

And if necessary, I will wait for you for years, my friend.”

 

 

Two dogs, Marquise and Tony, on stone steps

 

 

Isley

This is a simple grave, but the bushes on either side are carefully tended.

 

 

Maia, Louky and Gessie are buried here.

 

 

The first cat was Lupin, then came Scipionne. Pionette came next. Platon must have been the favorite because he has the place of honor at the top of the tomb. He lived 23 beautiful years, but there was still one more to come, Gudule.

The inscription reads: Rin Tin Tin, The Great Movie Star

The most famous grave at the Paris pet cemetery is that of Rin Tin Tin, who starred in 27 Hollywood films of the 1920s; his namesake was the star of the televised series of the same name. At one point, he is said to have received the most votes for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929-- but was declined because he wasn't human. (A Hollywood legend, maybe--but he WAS honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1963.)

Rin Tin Tin was adopted from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier. Although he spent most of his life in the U.S. and died in Hollywood in 1932, he had been found in France originally, so was brought back to France to be buried in le Cimetière des Chiens.

 

A dog bedecked with Mardi Gras beads

 

Bébé is lying in front of her grave marker.

 

 

Police Dogs’ Memorial Graves

 

 

Putsik was a kind and sweet cat.

 

 

Sultan Galant Vom Hatzfield was a German Shepherd in his own mini-mausoleum.

 

 

 

An unknown occupant on a stone platform

 

 

Caramel

 

“My daughter, the love of my life, I love you, Your Mother”

 

 

A new path outside the cemetery proper has 2 imposing-looking tombs.

 

 

Tamise, who looks like a cocker spaniel, has the place of honor on this tomb, and Poupette and Nectarine are below her. An unidentifiable fourth pet is also buried here.

 

My husband Robert is waiting patiently until I finish visiting the animals.

 

 

 

 

Sainte-Chapelle, The “Jewel Box” Church

Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel), located within the Palais de Justice complex on the Ile de la Cité in the center of Paris, was designed and built to house the relics of the Crucifixion. In 1239, King Louis IX bought the crown of thorns from Venetian merchants for 135,000 livres, probably equivalent to $540,000 today. It was an enormous sum at the time and equal to more than half the annual revenues of the royal domain. The chapel to house the relics cost 40,000 livres to build. The king bought fragments of the Holy Cross from Baudoin II, king of Jerusalem in 1241. Because King Louis did not want these Holy Relics to be scattered, he had a church built inside the Royal Palace on the Ile de la Cite. Having the Holy Relics inside the palace emphasized the close relationship between the relics and the monarchy; building Sainte-Chapelle was both an act of faith and a political stratagem, meant to enthrone the kingdom of France as a leader of western Christianity of the first order and King Louis IX as the central monarch of western Christendom. During a crusade, King Louis IX died of plague; he was canonized, and is, today, known as Saint Louis.  

The church, which has two levels, was consecrated on April 26th, 1248. The ground level served as the parish church for all the inhabitants of the palace, and the relics were kept on the upper level. A staircase  enabled people to reach the upper level on the southern side. From that time on, a choir screen was added to isolate clergymen and upper class people from common people.

Sainte-Chapelle  suffered considerable damage during the French Revolution. The furniture, the stalls and the choir wall disappeared, the organs were transported to Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, the spire was knocked down, the tympans damaged, and the precious relics were scattered. Unfortunately, some relics were never found again, and those that were recovered are now housed at  Notre Dame Cathedral. From 1846 onwards--until this very day-- significant restoration work has been undertaken, and  Sainte-Chapelle is recovering its previous splendor.

Palais de Justice gate from the outside, looking in 

Palais de Justice, now the home of the French Supreme Court. 

The spire of Sainte-Chapelle is just visible in the upper left corner of the photo. In order to enter the building complex and visit Sainte-Chapelle, everyone has to first go through a security screening, similar to an airport screening, probably because it is a common entrance for the church and the law court.  

The elaborate portal from the inside, looking out on the street in front of the Palais de Justice, Boulevard du Palais. Go right on the boulevard, cross the Seine, and you are at Chatelet. Go left, cross the Seine, and you are at Boul’ Mich--Boulevard Saint-Michel with its magnificent fountain.

An exterior view of Sainte-Chapelle. 

Due to ongoing construction, the entrance to Sainte Chapelle was at the end of a narrow walkway, so there was only room enough to get a close-up photo. During the French Revolution,  the outside ornamentation was damaged, especially the spire, whose fleurs-de-lys were considered a symbol of the French monarchy. You can see a row of 4 fleur-de-lys on the small balcony below a stained glass panel of the upper chapel.

THE LOWER CHAPEL

The entrance to the lower chapel is through the Portal of the Virgin. The coronation of Mary is represented on the tympanum (the semi-circular space over the entrance.) A Virgin with Child decorates the trumeau (a column supporting the tympanum of a doorway at its center.)

The nave has 4 bays (a bay is the space between each set of columns.) The wall of each bay is decorated with five pointed trefoil (three-lobed) arches topped by a sexfoiled oculus (a round window with 6 lobes) The medallion within the trefoil arch represents an apostle and is set with fake gems.  

Pointed trefoil arches and a medallion representing an apostle

Trefoil arches and an apostle with raised sword in the medallion

Trefoil arches and an apostle with a staff in one hand in the medallion

Saint Louis 

The front of the chapel is a seven-section hemicycle.  (A hemicycle is a semicircular structure.)

Saint Louis

The two black columns which stand in the middle were built to bear the weight of the heavy reliquary located in the upper chapel.

Vaulted ceiling 

The vaults (a vault is an arched structure forming a ceiling) are decorated with fleur de lys, whereas the vault of the upper chapel is covered by golden stars: it's an example of the recurrent alternation between royal and divine symbols. Golden fleur de lys on a blue background are a symbol of the monarchy. The ribs are underlined with red strips with a golden L. 

On the floor are archaeological remains of  Sainte Chapelle after the damage done during the French Revolution.

Golden castilian castles on a red background on the pillars symbolize Blanche de Castille, Saint Louis’ mother. A winding staircase leads from the painted and gilded lower chapel to the porch of the upper chapel.

THE UPPER CHAPEL

Forming what amounts to a continuous wall of 50-foot-high stained glass around three sides of the chapel, fifteen huge mid-13th-century windows fill the nave and apse, while a large rose window dominates the western wall. The walls of the upper chapel are much taller than those of the lower chapel, and  they are in great part covered only by stained glass. The thinness of the columns between the stained glass windows is an example of  the exquisite mastery of gothic art. 

The stained glass windows depict different Christian themes. Every picture tells a biblical story or has religious meaning. The one right behind the main altar depicts scenes from the Passion. The panel to the right depicts Saint John the Baptist and the Book of Daniel. The panel to the left depicts Saint John the Evangelist and the childhood of Christ. And the Rose window depicts the Apocalypse. 

Vaulted ceiling 

The vault of the upper chapel is covered by golden stars, like star-filled heavens, whereas the vault of the lower chapel is decorated with fleur-de-lys, showing an alternation of the royal and the divine

The reliquary platform  

The holy relics purchased by Saint Louis were kept in this large, richly decorated reliquary, placed at the summit of the open tribune, at the back of the apse. Visible to the right of the platform is a small wooden spiral staircase which gives access to the platform. There is a staircase on the opposite side as well.

The reliquary  

An elevated  baldachin (the canopy over the platform)  acts as a visual focus for the reliquary chest. The relics were stored in a large and elaborate silver chest, la grande chasse, on which Louis spent a further 100,000 livres. The relics originally housed at Sainte-Chapelle are now in the treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The main altar area has an ornately decorated, vaulted canopy structure. Just visible on the left is a small spiral wooden staircase which gives access to the platform on which la grande chasse is located. Only the king was permitted to use the stairs to take out the relics from la grande chasse for adoration by the faithful on Good Friday. (During the French Revolution, there was a ban on conserving relics and all other sacred symbols linked to the kings, and la grande chasse was melted down at that time.)

Angels holding a crown of thorns between them adorn the arched opening.

  

A stained glass pane

In this pane and all the others, the full biblical story of humanity is recounted, from the Creation to redemption through Christ. Each window, divided into arches, reads from left to right and from top to bottom.

Restoration sign over the rose window 

Behind the restoration sign, the 16th century rose window shows the Apocalypse around an enthroned Christ in the central oculus. It’s Judgment Day, with Christ in the center of the chaos and miracles that accompany the Apocalyptic last days. During the past half-century, operations to restore and protect the windows from the effects of air pollution on the stained glass have been initiated.

Statues of the twelve apostles stand on each side of the nave against the columns that mark the bays. Leaned against the wall, they symbolize the columns of the Church. Unfortunately, they are now unidentifiable because distinctive marks have now disappeared. Each carries a disk marked with the consecration crosses that were traditionally marked on the pillars of a church at its consecration

Apostle with consecration cross

Apostle with consecration cross

Apostle with consecration cross

Apostle with consecration cross

The spire of Sainte Chapelle was pulled down during the French Revolution and a new one was built in 1853.

An entrance ticket for Sainte-Chapelle alone costs 8.5 euros. Combined tickets for Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie cost 12.5 euros. The two venues are close together, and can be seen easily in less than two hours.

FYI: Chamber music concerts are held in Sainte-Chapelle. A schedule of performances and e-tickets are available at: www.classictic.com/en/special/concerts-in-la-sainte-chapelle/216/

UPDATE from a report by Tom Heneghan, Reuters Religion Editor, March 21, 2014

For photos of the event, go to: http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/03/21/crown-of-thorns-relic-paraded-from-notre-dame-to-sainte-chapelle-in-paris/

Crown of Thorns relic paraded from Notre Dame to Sainte Chapelle in Paris

“A relic venerated by Christians as the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus was paraded on Friday in Paris from Notre Dame Cathedral to the dazzling Gothic chapel built to house it in the 13th century. The relic rarely leaves the cathedral and its return to the Sainte Chapelle, a medieval gem known for its soaring stained glass windows, and the Mass said to celebrate it were the first such events there since the 1789 French Revolution.

The French Catholic Church staged the procession, the start of a weekend of ceremonies, to mark the 800th anniversary of the birth of Saint Louis, who as King Louis IX bought the relic in 1239 from Baldwin II, the cash-strapped Latin Emperor of Constantinople, and brought it to Paris. Installed in Sainte Chapelle, which was finished in 1248, it stayed there until the Revolution.

The relic is stored at the back of Notre Dame, barely visible in an elaborate reliquary, but it is presented to believers for veneration on the first Friday of each month and every Friday during Lent.”