- By Ajeet Kumar
- Thu, 06 Nov 2025 02:12 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Paris has started a special lottery where the prize isn't money, but a chance to be buried in one of its famous cemeteries. This unusual idea is meant to fix old tombs that are falling apart and to give people in Paris a rare opportunity to get a burial spot, which are very hard to find.
Cemeteries inside the city have been almost full since the early 1900s. It's been difficult to clear out abandoned tombs because of local rules.
Now, lottery winners will be able to buy and fix up one of 30 tombs in three different cemeteries. The city will then let them lease the burial plot if they meet certain requirements.
Why does Paris City Hall come up with bizarre ideas?
City hall said that many people have wanted to restore old graves to get a burial plot in return. However, laws about who owns the land (the state) and how long a family can rent a plot (concessions) have made this difficult.
“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.
Is the lottery prize worth taking?
Paris hopes it has found a solution. There are 10 plots available in Pere-Lachaise cemetery, where famous people like Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Edith Piaf are buried. Another 10 plots are in Montparnasse Cemetery, home to writers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. And 10 more are in Montmartre cemetery, where Edgar Degas and Émile Zola are buried.
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Each existing tomb will cost 4,000 euros ($4,600) to buy, and the winners will also have to pay for the repairs. After that, they can lease the plot, with prices starting at 976 euros ($1,120) for a 10-year lease, and going up to 17,668 euros ($20,290) to be buried there forever.
Applications for the lottery started on Monday and will close on December 31. There is a 125-euro ($144) registration fee for each person who enters.