Gamichon Family Tomb

Gamichon Family Tomb
Division 2
Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

Little seems to be known about the Gamichon family or Marcel Grouillet, the creator of the draped female marble sculpture at the entrance to the tomb. The tomb appears in many early twentieth century postcards of Père-Lachaise with the caption “La Douleur” (The Sorrow). The tomb is tucked away in the southwest corner of Division 2 and often escapes the attention of visitors. It is certainly worth a short detour. Nothing else in Père-Lachaise is quite like it.

Look closely and you’ll see the names of many members of the Gamichon family softly and almost unnoticeably etched into the rough stone. Architecturally the tomb is closest to a grotto, a cave-like structure usually seen in Catholic cemeteries. The most famous grotto in the world is in Lourdes. Cave-like structures can also be interpreted as homage to Jesus’ tomb.

Text and copy © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page

[address cemetery=”Père Lachaise Cemetery” street=”16 Rue du Repos ” city=”Paris” country=”France” zip=”75020″]